Are you really South African if you haven’t used a BIC lighter for this?

You can tell a lot about someone by the lighter in their drawer.

And in South Africa? It’s almost always a BIC Lighter.

From braai flames to birthday candles, gas stoves to incense sticks, BIC has lit up half the country in some way or another. It’s one of those everyday essentials that doesn’t ask for credit, but shows up every time.

So let’s be honest if you’ve never used a BIC, are you really South African?

It usually starts outside, around a fire

Most good things here start the same way: someone standing by a braai, waiting for the fire to catch.

Before the tongs hit the grid or the chakalaka hits the plate, someone has to get things going. And more often than not, it’s a BIC Megalighter doing the work. Long reach. Strong flame. Built to handle wind, firelighters, and the kind of patience that wears thin when people are hungry.

And it doesn’t stop at the braai.

Once the fire’s going and the day settles in, the need for a lighter just moves indoors. Sometimes plans change. Sometimes the lights trip unexpectedly. Sometimes the house just needs a bit of light to carry on.

That’s where a lighter like the BIC EZ Reach quietly earns its place. Its 3.5cm extended wand makes lighting candles, stoves or fireplaces feel safer, easy to reach and safer, especially when you’re reaching into deep holders or dealing with low light.

From there, it slips into everyday life without much thought.

Weekend getaways. Camping setups. Rooftop braais where space is tight and you don’t want to lean too far over the flame. These are the moments where control matters more than speed.

The BIC Flex lighter is made for exactly that. Its flexible wand and comfortable grip give you the reach you need, without putting your hands in the firing line. It’s the kind of lighter you use without thinking about it, because it just works.

And then there are the smaller moments that don’t announce themselves at all.

A birthday cake being carried outside while someone shields the candles from the wind. An incense stick lit at the end of a long day. A quick spark needed without thinking twice about it.

That’s usually where a BIC J5 Mini Pocket Lighter comes in compact, dependable, and always nearby when you need it.

These are the moments that explain why BIC lighters tend to live in the same places for years. Kitchen drawers. Cupboards. Glove compartments. They’re not moved around much, because they don’t need to be replaced often. They just stay.

And that’s really the point.

BIC lighters aren’t around because they’re loud or flashy. They’re around because they work. Consistently. Safely. In ways that fit naturally into everyday South African life.

So if you’ve used a BIC to light a fire, a candle, a stove, or a quiet moment at home, you already know. Because in South Africa, a BIC lighter isn’t something you think about. It's just something that’s always there.