Consumer Studies: Creating, Learning and Celebrating at St Mary’s DSG

Something for everyone, made with creativity, purpose and a whole lot of heart!

Consumer Studies at St Mary’s DSG is so much more than a subject in the timetable. It is a space where our girls learn to create, innovate, problem-solve and turn ideas into products that have real value in the world around them.

Our recent Time to Fiesta stall was a wonderful celebration of everything that makes Consumer Studies special. Our talented Consumer Studies students put their skills into action and created an exciting range of products — with something for every taste, every home and every occasion.

For the pantry, we offered our delicious homemade marmalade and strawberry jam, our much-loved Spekboom chutney, carefully blended spice mixes, and our chilli and garlic-infused honey. Our gifting range included tension muscle rollers, lavender sugar scrubs, rose-blend lip balms and aroma apples, all made with natural and organic ingredients to bring a little freshness and luxury into everyday life.

And for those looking for a quick treat, there was candy floss in four delicious flavours and freshly popped popcorn — proving that Consumer Studies can be both educational and wonderfully fun!

Behind every product was a student who had been involved in the process: from researching and developing ideas, sourcing ingredients and considering sustainability, to calculating costs, packaging, marketing and ultimately selling the finished product. These are valuable real-world skills that extend far beyond the classroom.

Our Consumer Studies programme encourages our girls to think like designers, entrepreneurs, consumers and responsible global citizens. They learn that what we buy, make and consume has an impact — and that creativity, sustainability and sound decision-making can go hand in hand.

And this is just the beginning!

Keep an eye out for invitations to our upcoming Greek Evening, where the Consumer Studies Department will celebrate local South African Greek author Costa Ayiotis and his book Matriarchs, Meze and the Evil Eye. Our guests will be transported into a world of stories, culture and food as we serve a selection of meze inspired by the book.

And then, of course, we will finish the year with sparkles, celebration and Christmas cheer at Christmas@DSG!

We are incredibly proud of our Consumer Studies students and all that they are creating. Their enthusiasm, creativity and entrepreneurial spirit remind us that learning comes alive when knowledge is transformed into something we can make, share and enjoy.

Consumer Studies at St Mary’s DSG — creating skills for life, one delicious, sustainable and innovative idea at a time!