Must-see shopping in Southern Africa

  • Cultural Vibes

    Victoria Falls (town)

    A great little store specialising in Zimbabwean and African music, stocking CDs from a range of genres and eras.

  • Craft Stalls

    Malawi

    Senga Bay has a few strips of craft stalls, but the longest is a few kilometres out of town on the Salima road.

  • Mü & Me

    Cape Town

    Daley Muller's super-cute graphic designs are the art for cards, wrapping paper, stationery and kids T-shirts.

  • Uta Waleza Centre

    Malawi

    With a few design shops and an excellent bookshop, Uta Waleza is a good place to buy presents and souvenirs.

  • African Habitat

    Lilongwe

    Excellent for sculpture, woodcarvings, sarongs, cards and jewellery, as well as T-shirts and bags.

  • La Galleria

    Lilongwe

    Pleasant boutique selling vivid African paintings, masks, bags and jewellery by local artists.

  • OK Mart

    Harare

    If you've come without gear, this supermarket sells tents and other camping supplies.

  • House of Gems

    Windhoek

    A reputable shop in Windhoek for buying both raw and polished minerals and gemstones.

  • Jairos Jiri Crafts

    Victoria Falls (town)

    Good range of Shona arts and crafts, with proceeds assisting disadvantaged locals.

  • African Adventure

    Eastern Cape

    This shop on the main drag has a good selection of quality African handicrafts.

  • Swazi Plaza

    eSwatini (Swaziland)

    The largest mall in Mbabane with a variety of restaurants and shops.

  • Oriental Plaza

    Johannesburg

    A bustling collection of mostly Indian-owned stores selling everything from spices to cheap watches to cookware. If you need your mobile phone fixed, this…

  • Nude Foods

    Cape Town

    Cape Town's first plastic-free grocery store is a haven for all that is vegan and organic. It's a good place to stock up on fresh veggies, plus they have…

  • Merry Pop Ins

    Cape Town

    Stocking a quality selection of pre-loved kids’ clothes, toys and furniture. The selection of stuff for newborns to 10-year-olds is impressive.

  • Astra Centre

    Cape Town

    ‘Ability rather than disability’ is the creed of this admirable organisation that creates meaningful employment for physically and mentally challenged…

  • Beadkidz

    Western Cape

    Based in Rondomskrik, 3km north of the town centre, this community craft project serves as both a youth centre and a way for teenagers to earn some pocket…

  • Philani Nutrition Centre

    Cape Town

    This long-running, community-based health organisation operates several projects in the townships, including a weaving factory in Khayelitsha’s Site C…

  • Long Street Antique Arcade

    Cape Town

    Browse the booths in this compact arcade, offering a range of antiques and bric-a-brac, and you’re likely to find something of interest, from dusty old…

  • Botswana Book Centre

    Gaborone

    You wouldn’t cross town for it, and like the Mall it inhabits it has a neglected air, but this bookshop is worth dropping into for its excellent range of…

  • Verandah Gallery

    Harare

    An informal set-up in a private residence, Verandah Gallery is a good spot to purchase original pieces by Zimbabwean artists. It's also popular for…

  • Huguenot Fine Chocolates

    Franschhoek

    An empowerment program gave the two local guys who run this chocolatier a leg up and now people are raving about their confections. There are daily…

  • Deckle Edge

    Cape Town

    Serving the many artists who are starting to take up studio space in this industrial area. If you have any kind of art project in mind then this is the…

  • Chichiri Shopping Mall

    Malawi

    Has a pharmacy, an electronics retailer, a gift shop, a stationery store, a bookshop and branches of Game and Shoprite supermarkets.

  • Oom Samie se Winkel

    Stellenbosch

    This place was on the Stellenbosch map before Stellenbosch was on the map. It’s an unashamedly touristy general dealer but still worth visiting for its…

  • KwaZulu Muti Museum of Man & Science

    Johannesburg

    This quirky, highly photogenic venture – always ask permission first – is the most accessible of the downtown muti (traditional medicine) stores. Amid…

  • Mabu Vinyl

    Cape Town

    New and secondhand LPs, CDs, DVDs, books and comics are bought, sold and traded at this reputable shop that features in the award-winning documentary…

  • Stockton Goods

    Cape Town

    Vegetable-dye tanned hides are used for the quality leather products such as belts, bags, wallets and book covers made by these artisans. Find them in the…

  • Elelloang Basali Weavers

    Lesotho

    Elelloang Basali (Be Aware Women) makes hand-spun mohair rugs with geometric patterns, as well as tapestries and other items. Find it in a building made…

  • Trafalgar Place

    Cape Town

    This flower market, where sellers have gathered since 1860, is an explosion of colour along Adderley St. The stalls are open long hours and the sellers…

  • Greenmarket Square

    Cape Town

    Masks, jewellery, bargain CDs, pottery and the satirical, anticorporate T-shirts of Laugh It Off are just some of the finds at this market, held in…

  • The Space

    Cape Town

    Celebrating individual style, this groovy boutique in the bowels of Cavendish Square mall stocks creative local fashion and accessories, as well as fun…

  • Craft Coffee Shop

    Malawi

    The Craft Coffee Shop sells craftwork, woodcarvings, honey and soap made locally, as well as cups of the potent coffee grown nearby and processed in Mzuzu.

  • Market Square Market

    Johannesburg

    Held on Saturday mornings around the Market Theatre, there’s a lively, cheerful atmosphere here. Although many stalls sell flea-market rubbish, there are…

  • Gardens Centre

    Cape Town

    A handy, well-stocked mall covering all the bases, with good cafes, bookshops, Pick n Pay and Woolworths supermarkets, a travel agency and a Cape Union…

  • Bibliophilia

    Cape Town

    Worth a browse is this bookshop specialising in art, design and pop culture titles. You can also find many locally published magazines and books, as well…

  • Craft Market

    Swakopmund

    Swakopmund's artisans and souvenir sellers have gathered together here all in the one place. It's worth a wander, although the quality varies, and there…

  • Access Park

    Cape Town

    Bargain hunters converge on the scores of outlet and factory shops here, which sell everything from trainers and T-shirts to watches and luggage, with…

  • Pavilion

    Durban

    Large shopping centre with an attractive glass-and-steel dome design. Located on the city’s outskirts in Westville, just a 10km drive from the centre on…

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