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,…
Must-see shopping in Southern Africa
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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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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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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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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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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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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Windhoek
This place is an outlet for heaps of wonderful Namibian inspiration – leatherwork, basketry, pottery, jewellery, needlework, hand-painted textiles and…
Johannesburg
Arts and crafts from across South Africa as well as Mali, Ghana and the Ivory Coast are attractively displayed here – you'll be spoiled for souvenir…
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Cape Town
This former biscuit factory houses an ace collection of arts, craft, fashion and design shops, as well as places to eat and drink.
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Cape Town
As well as good places to eat and drink, there's a fair amount of original retail at the Exchange, including the boutique Kingdom, which mixes fashion and…
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eSwatini (Swaziland)
One of eSwatini's major tourist attractions, this superb glass-blowing factory and boutique showcases a fantastic selection of animal figurines, vases,…
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Cape Town
Shining a light on the graphic art and illustration talents of local artists, as well as importing some great pieces from France and elsewhere, this…
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eSwatini (Swaziland)
A mandatory stop for the souvenir hunter, Swazi Candles is one of the most famous handicrafts outlets in Southern Africa. Here you can wax lyrical about…
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Cape Town
Locally sourced clay is used in the Robertson-based factory to make these stylish, mainly monochrome ceramics that range from plates and mugs to…
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Cape Town
Colourful beadwork crafts, made by local township women, are Monkeybiz’s super-successful stock in trade – you'll find their products around the world,…
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Sea Point to Hout Bay
Browsing the stalls at this little village-green market, a fundraiser for the Lions Club of Hout Bay social-upliftment organisation, is a lovely way to…
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Cape Town
Although the shop’s name is an acronym for ‘Less is More’, this interior design shop has been so successful that they've had to add more room by expanding…
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Sea Point to Hout Bay
A court order may have stopped this shop from using the name Dolce & Banana for its bead jewellery, but otherwise it hasn’t put a dent in this long…
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Gauteng
Typifying the new Soweto are the crew who run Thesis, a streetware brand selling colourful design T-shirts and hats made locally. Next to the boutique is…
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Cape Town
Baskets, mats, lampshades, pillows, bags and cushions are among the many rainbow-coloured products on sale at this great artisan design shop that creates…
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Cape Town
Michael Chandler showcases his quirky ceramic homewares and decorative pieces in this well-edited collection of imaginative local arts and crafts, which…
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Cape Town
A one-stop shop for a variety of South African designers' products, including very portable items such as clothes hooks, fridge magnets, skinny leather…
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Cape Town
The hub of Cape Town’s literary scene, thanks to its great selection of titles, comfy chairs, simple cafe and busy program of events. There are up to…
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Cape Town
Sera Holland is the artist responsible for the colourful, floral and abstract designs on the fabric items – cushion covers, napkins, table runners etc –…
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Cape Town
There's an eye-catching selection of tailored men's and women's shirts from this locally based fashion brand – formal (white collar) and informal (blue…
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Cape Town
Gorgeous gowns and more casual wear made from silks, linens, lace and other natural fibres seduce fashionistas in this chic showroom and atelier.
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Botswana
The village of Oodi is best known for the acclaimed Lentswe-la-Oodi Weavers, a cooperative established in 1973 to provide an economic base for women from…
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Harare
A few kilometres east of town, Doon Estate is known for its galleries, cafes and souvenir shops. Sadly these days it's a shadow of its former self (many…
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Pemba
Even if you don’t think you want to buy crafts, it’s worth stopping in at the excellent Artes Maconde at Avani Pemba Beach Hotel. It sells a wide range of…
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Gaborone
These stunning quilts are made by Batswana women, overseen by the engaging Jenny Healy, and are a unique craft to take home. Each one bears an individual…
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Zambia
This enterprise employs a team of local artists to produce, among other things, bags, wall hangings, bed linens and sarongs, much of which are sold abroad…
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Botswana
This cooperative was established in 1983 as a craft outlet and training centre for the San. It’s an excellent place to shop for traditional San crafts,…
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Johannesburg
An independently owned, mostly African literature bookstore, Bridge Books has become a literary meeting place for Jo'burg's top local authors. The books…
