Lagos
An offspring of the great Glendora Books, Jazz Hole is primarily a book and record store. In this oasis of calm in the mile-a-minute city, sip tea in the…
Must-see shopping in Africa
Marrakesh
Treasure hunters rejoice: this is a one-stop shop for all things artisanal. Moroccan lanterns drip from the ceilings of this grand emporium that features…
Johannesburg
This shipping-crate complex of boutiques, galleries and eateries is well on its way to establishing its Melville street cred. A newly planted park,…
Kampala
Selling gorgeous women's kitenge dresses in traditional patterns, separates, children's clothing and some batik pillows, this fair-trade boutique is a…
Tangier
You can get lost for hours in this exotic antique shop, but the real gem is Majid himself. Straight out of central casting (including his red fez), Majid…
Tangier
Just outside the kasbah, this is an eclectic mishmash of a shop, stocking art pieces, homewares, cosmetics and some exquisite designer clothes. It also…
Nairobi
Some of Kenya's more creative artists, photographers, leatherworkers and other high-quality artisans and artists have come together under one roof – the…
Accra
This shop, which stocks pretty dresses, hats, tops, accessories (including lush scented shea butter) and kids clothes in colourful fabrics, is part of a…
Johannesburg
The antithesis of consumer tack, 44 Stanley is a blueprint for future mall development. It’s a warren of lanes around shady courtyards and features an…
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Harare
His clients may include Bruce Springsteen, Kate Middleton and the king of Spain, but Patrick Mavros' stunning handmade silver jewellery is very affordable…
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Zanzibar Town
Organised by the dedicated Hamad and other local artists, with an emphasis on quality and distinctiveness, this arts centre and shop provide a refreshing…
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Windhoek
Penduka, which means ‘wake up’, operates a nonprofit women’s needlework project at Goreangab Dam, 8km northwest of the city centre. You can purchase…
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Sea Point to Hout Bay
This imaginatively designed indoor market at the far end of Hout Bay Harbour is one of Cape Town's best. There’s a good range of stalls selling items from…
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Addis Ababa
Eight years after being founded by designer Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu to help talented artisans in her neighbourhood, soleRebels Footwear's shoes are made…
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Tunis
Up winding tiled stairs, the rooms of this traditional dar are filled with rugs, textiles and antique musical instruments; downstairs there’s everything…
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Elephant's Walk Shopping & Artist Village
Victoria Falls (town)
A must for those in the market for quality Zimbabwean and African craft, this shopping village is home to boutique stores and galleries owned by a…
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Gueliz & Ville Nouvelle
Modern Moroccan design fanatics head 4km out of the central city to the industrial district of Sidi Ghanem to scour local designer factory outlets and…
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Marrakesh
Naturom's neatly packaged and keenly priced argan, verbena and orange-blossom beauty products are all 100% certified organic, using pure essences and…
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American University in Cairo Bookshop
Cairo
The best English-language bookshop in Egypt, with a huge selection of material on the politics, sociology and history of Cairo, Egypt and the wider Middle…
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Nairobi
Utamaduni is a large crafts emporium and easily one of the best places to souvenir shop in Nairobi, with more than a dozen shops selling all kinds of…
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Cape Town
One of the most stylish and desirable collections of tribal and contemporary African textiles, arts and crafts. You’ll find potato-print fabrics made by…
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Essaouira
If you don't know your Beni Ourain from your boucharouite (rag rug made from recycled cloth), this is the place to come. The extremely knowledgeable…
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Gueliz & Ville Nouvelle
More than 60 designers, mostly from Morocco, are represented in this two-floor emporium, and co-owner Yehia Abdelnour dedicates much of his time to…
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Tunis
Top-quality Tunisian handicrafts are artfully displayed in the upstairs and side salons of this handsome funduq (caravanserai) in the heart of the medina…
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Cape Town
This is the artisanal goods markets that kickstarted the craze for similar markets across the Cape – and it's still one of the best. Food and drinks are…
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Cape Town
This development project has helped several great craftspeople and designers along the way. In the leafy compound, artists' studios are scattered around…
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Johannesburg
Kim Sacks, a renowned ceramicist and ceramics teacher, has assembled an astounding collection of handcrafted pots, baskets, tapestries, rugs, jewellery,…
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Essaouira
Vintage lovers could happily while away a few hours here. Friendly owner Abdellatif has amassed a treasure trove of fabulous finds – perhaps a Vernor…
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Arusha
What started as a small enterprise making beaded necklaces has branched into furniture, paper, clothing and many other products, mostly using recycled…
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Cape Town
Their motto is ‘anything you can dream up in wire we will build’. And if you visit this social project, designed to create sustainable employment, and see…
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Johannesburg
Spilling out of Arts on Main onto Fox St is this buzzy weekly market. You'll find the usual selection of takeaway food stalls downstairs (look out for the…
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Lilongwe
An oasis of fine dining and upmarket shopping, featuring clothing and design boutiques, a bar, a restaurant and a cafe, Four Seasons is a restful one-stop…
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Dar es Salaam
At this excellent workshop, artists with disabilities create world-class jewellery, sculptures, candles, stationery and other crafts from old glass, metal…
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Nairobi
More than 600 wildlife bronzes by Denis Mathews (from jewellery and small lion-cub-footprint dishes to much larger pieces running into thousands of…
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Safi
Safi's famed ceramics are showcased in this huge shop and gallery near Bab Chaaba. English-speaking owner Mehdi Serghini is in the seventh generation of a…
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Cameroon
South of town, the Village des Artisans seems to produce more handicrafts than the rest of Cameroon combined. Get ready for some bargaining and banter –…
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Lagos
Out in the gated Parkview estate, Quintessence sells artworks and crafts, with an especially good selection of clothes and some antique carvings and…
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St George Interior Decoration & Art Gallery
Addis Ababa
One of Addis Ababa's classiest places to shop, St George has everything from antique silver crosses and contemporary textiles to wide-ranging books about…
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Essaouira
Essaouira’s first concept store – curated by Parisian Christelle Pailly – stocks a superstylish mix of Moroccan and Moroccan-based designers for women,…
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Windhoek
This place is an outlet for heaps of wonderful Namibian inspiration – leatherwork, basketry, pottery, jewellery, needlework, hand-painted textiles and…
