The Full Story
Welcome to our About page, where you can learn more about our mission and values. For detailed information on our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policies, please explore the linked sections to stay informed about your rights and our practices.
Where It All Started
Rays Retail Nursery was started in September 2020, during the Covid-19 pandemic, by Christopher and Adrian, who were both students at the time.
What started with a tray of Spekboom quickly grew into something much bigger. Over the years we moved through everything from clivias and hydrangeas to roses and fruit trees before eventually finding our real passion in indoor plants and succulents.
For the first few years, Rays was predominantly an online nursery run from our home. In September 2024, we took the next big step and opened our first physical store at the Woodstock Exchange in Cape Town.
Now, in 2026, Rays has grown into far more than the small home nursery we started with. Our Woodstock store remains at the heart of the business, alongside our online store, workshops, growing range of plants, pots and accessories, and the plant expos we organise in Cape Town and Gauteng.
The expos have become an important part of what we do, bringing growers, collectors, small businesses and plant lovers together under one roof and helping us grow the wider plant community beyond our own store.
Our goal has stayed much the same from the beginning: to offer interesting, good-quality plants at fair prices, while making plant shopping feel approachable and enjoyable.
You can visit us in-store at the Woodstock Exchange, shop online from anywhere in South Africa, and yes, we courier nationwide.
How It Works
1.
Payment & Dispatch
Once your payment clears, your order is scheduled for our next Monday dispatch — we ship early in the week so plants spend as little time boxed or sitting at a depot over the weekend as possible.
3.
Delivery Cost
Courier charges are calculated at checkout or confirmed with you before dispatch, depending on the delivery method you choose.
5.
A Little Movement Is Normal
Plants are living things — a bent leaf, small tear or shifted soil can happen in transit without affecting the plant's health.
7.
Get Your Details Right
Double-check your delivery address or PUDO locker at checkout. Extra courier costs from incorrect info or an uncollected parcel may be for your account.
9.
7 Days, Covered
Keep an eye on the tracking once you're dispatched. This matters most for PUDO orders — a full locker can mean your parcel gets redirected.
11.
A Few Quick Questions
We may ask about watering, placement and general care to help us understand the likely cause.
2.
Secure Packing
Indoor plants are shipped in their pots and packed securely for the journey.
4.
Packed With Care
Every order is packed carefully so plants leave us healthy and as secure as possible.
6.
Track Your Parcel
Keep an eye on the tracking once you're dispatched. This matters most for PUDO orders — a full locker can mean your parcel gets redirected.
8.
If Something Goes Wrong
Delayed, lost or badly damaged parcel? Contact us as soon as possible with clear photos of the plant, packaging and parcel — and hold onto the packaging until it's sorted.
10.
Show Us What Happened
Contact us with clear photos and a short description of the issue.
12.
Replacement or Refund
If your claim is approved, we'll offer a replacement where available, or a refund if a suitable replacement isn't.
Our Full
Terms & Conditions
Shipping & Delivery Once payment has cleared, your order will be scheduled for our next Monday dispatch. We ship plants at the beginning of the week wherever possible so they spend as little time boxed or sitting at a courier depot over a weekend as possible. Indoor plants are shipped in their pots and packed securely for transport. Courier charges will be calculated at checkout or confirmed with you before dispatch, depending on the delivery method selected. Courier Deliveries We take care when packing every order and make sure plants leave us healthy and as secure as possible. Plants are living products, so a small amount of movement during transport can happen. Minor cosmetic damage, such as a bent leaf, small tear or displaced soil, may occasionally occur during shipping without affecting the health of the plant. Once your order has been dispatched, please keep an eye on the tracking provided. This is especially important with PUDO orders, as parcels may sometimes be redirected if the selected locker is full. Please make sure your delivery details or selected PUDO locker are correct when placing your order. Additional courier charges caused by incorrect delivery information or an uncollected parcel may be for the customer’s account. If your parcel is delayed, lost or arrives with significant damage, please contact us as soon as possible. We may ask for clear photos of the plant, packaging and parcel so that we can assess what happened and assist with the next steps. Please do not discard/damaged packaging until the matter has been resolved. 7-Day Plant Guarantee Rays Retail Nursery offers a 7-day plant guarantee for unexpected plant decline after purchase that is not related to courier damage, such as severe wilting, rot or plant loss. If you experience a problem within 7 days of receiving or purchasing your plant, please contact us with clear photos and a short description of what has happened. We may ask a few questions about watering, placement and general care so that we can understand the likely cause. If your claim is approved, we will offer a replacement where available or a refund. If a suitable replacement is not available, a refund will be processed. FULL RETURNS AND REFUNDS POLICY: Returns & Exchanges We want you to be happy with your purchase. If you change your mind, the following return periods and conditions apply. Non-Plant Products: Non-plant products may be returned or exchanged within 30 days of purchase, provided that: Proof of purchase is provided. The item is unused and in its original condition. The original packaging is included where applicable. The product is suitable for resale. The product is not listed below as a non-returnable product. Plants: Plants may be returned or exchanged within 7 days of purchase if you have changed your mind, provided that: Proof of purchase is provided. The plant is returned in the same condition in which it was purchased. The plant shows no signs of damage, neglect or stress caused after purchase. The plant remains in its original pot and growing medium. Plants are living products and their condition can change quickly depending on watering, light, temperature and general care. The 7-day period above applies to change-of-mind returns. Plants that were damaged, unhealthy or otherwise not in acceptable condition when supplied will be assessed separately. Promotional & Sale Items: Promotional, clearance and marked-down items are final sale and are not eligible for our normal change-of-mind return or exchange policy. If an item is faulty, damaged or incorrectly supplied, please contact us so that we can assess the issue. Non-Returnable Products: For product safety and quality control, we do not accept change-of-mind returns or exchanges on: Fertilisers Pesticides and chemical products Soil and potting mixes: Soil amendments Substrates and similar loose growing media These products can be easily opened, altered, contaminated or tampered with after leaving our store, and we cannot safely return them to stock for resale. If one of these products is faulty, damaged or incorrectly supplied, please contact us and we will assist. Faulty, Damaged or Incorrect Products: If you believe that an item is faulty, damaged or was supplied incorrectly, please contact us as soon as possible with proof of purchase. We may request clear photographs of the item, packaging or damage so that we can assess the issue. Once the claim has been assessed, a replacement, exchange or refund will be arranged where appropriate. If a replacement is required but suitable replacement stock is unavailable, a refund will be offered. Refunds: All approved refunds are processed via EFT so that there is a clear record of the transaction. You will be asked to provide the banking details required to process the refund. We may also request confirmation or proof of the account details before payment is made. Refund processing times may vary depending on your bank. Online Orders for Collection: Online orders selected for collection should be collected within 10 days of receiving confirmation that the order is ready. If you are unable to collect within this period, please contact us so that alternative arrangements can be made. If an order remains uncollected and we have received no communication from you, we may cancel the order and return the items to available stock. We will attempt to contact you before doing so. Where an uncollected order is cancelled and a refund is due, the refund will be processed via EFT. Online Orders for Delivery: Please make sure that your delivery details are correct before completing your order. Orders are generally dispatched on Mondays to reduce the amount of time live plants spend boxed or sitting at courier depots over weekends. Once your order has been dispatched, tracking information will be provided where available. Please monitor your tracking and contact us as soon as possible if your parcel appears to be delayed, lost or incorrectly routed. If your order arrives with significant courier damage, please contact us as soon as possible with photographs of the plant or product, parcel and packaging. Minor cosmetic damage to live plants, such as a small tear, bent leaf or displaced soil, can occasionally occur during transport and does not necessarily mean that the plant has been damaged beyond normal shipping expectations.