Primarily thanks to the excellent exchange rate, shopping is a popular pastime for visitors to Cape Town. The city has embraced American mall culture with abandon and most shopping precincts in Cape Town have been decentralized to suburban shopping malls, with hundreds of shops under one roof. The most impressive malls are the
Victoria Wharf at the V&A Waterfront,
Cavendish Square in Claremont,
Tyger Valley in the Northern Suburbs and
Canal Walk at Century City (see
Further Distractions). Nevertheless, there are still scores of little shops to be found, all
offering plenty of bargains. And the mall culture cannot hold back the markets, mostly informal, that continue to flourish in the city center and along main roads in the suburban areas. While shopping malls are generally open 0900-2100 Monday to Saturday and even Sunday 1000-1600, central city hours are 0830-1700 Monday to Friday and 0830-1300 on Saturday. Muslim-owned businesses close 1200-1300 on Friday.
Since the end of apartheid, Cape Town has become a Mecca for traders from all over Africa and it is possible to buy African art from all corners of the continent within a few city blocks. A sightseeing destination in its own right,
Greenmarket Square, Shortmarket Street, in the city center, has a market that is open Monday to Saturday, stocking an eclectic range of goods, including African art, local jewelry, handmade clothing, music, books and antiques. Most of the streets that fan out from Greenmarket Square are also packed with street traders selling African goods, while
The Pan African Market, 76 Long Street, is an experience within itself. Wall-to-wall African art and curios crowd into the double-story labyrinth of shops, open Monday to Saturday. Tiny tin can sculptures sit alongside wooden behemoths of tribal masks, while leathersmiths, hair braiders, djembe drum tutors and West African tailors practice their crafts and an informal café offers refreshments. For more arts, curios, clothing and crafts, the daily
Waterfront Craft Market, located in the Blue Shed at the V&A Waterfront, next to the Two Oceans Aquarium, is just the place for visitors to pick up a few trademark Capetonian gifts. The
Green Point Fleamarket is presently outside Green Point Stadium, Somerset Road, although the stadium itself is currently being dismantled. The market is held every Sunday and public holidays and is the largest of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere, boasting a vast number of stalls selling everything from African art and antiques to fake international labels. However, pickpockets like this area even more than bargain hunters do, so be warned.
An excellent lightweight gift that is truly indicative of Cape Town is wire sculpture - from as little as R10 for a wire daisy to R600 for a replica African hut.
Streetwires, 77/79 Shortmarket Street (website:
www.streetwires.co.za), is an initiative to empower unemployed South Africans and supplies various creative contemporary wire and bead products, which can be made to order. For a tasty South African specialty,
biltong (dried raw meat) is available in almost every shopping market throughout the city. Visitors should note, however, that importing biltong might be illegal in some countries. A far safer exportable gift would be wine, which is available en route on a Winelands tour for as little as R20 a bottle. Other South African specialties include Rooibos tea, hand-stitched ostrich leather or African rubber sandals.
The
Montebello Design Center, 31 Newlands Avenue (website:
www.montebello.co.za), has wonderful ethnic crafts for sale as well as a charming tearoom, while
African Image, Shop 6228 Table Bay Mall, V&A Waterfront, and 52 Burg Street, central Cape Town, (website:
www.African-image.co.za), specializes in authentic African tribal art and artifacts - a dream for collectors. Antique lovers should stroll up and down Church Street and the section of Long Street just off Church Street. Also in Long Street, the fashion aficionado will be spellbound by the incredible offerings on show at
Yin, 224a Long Street, an eclectic boutique that specializes in clothes designed and handmade by women from various African communities and countries. A vast collection of African music can be perused and purchased at
The African Music Store, 90 Long Street.
VAT stands at 14% on all goods sold in Cape Town, although this is largely ignored in the markets, and visitors can reclaim this upon departure for purchases over R250, provided all receipts have been kept, the appropriate tax invoices have been obtained and filled in where necessary, and the goods are exported within 90 days of purchase. These, along with the goods, must be presented to the VAT Refund Desk at the airport international departures terminal. A refund is then paid after passing through Passport Control. The
VAT Refund Office is located at the Cape Town Tourism Center, First Level, Clock Tower Center, V&A Waterfront (tel: (021) 405 4545; website:
www.taxrefunds.co.za), offers further information and helps with the necessary paperwork beforehand, providing you have your passport and airline ticket with you.
The Columbus World Travel Guide has been published for 26 years and is sold in over 90 countries worldwide.
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Word Travels is a comprehensive travel guide covering hundreds of cities and holiday resorts in more than 125 countries.
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The Columbus World Travel Guide has been published for 26 years and is sold in over 90 countries worldwide.
Word Travels is a comprehensive travel guide covering hundreds of cities and holiday resorts in more than 125 countries.
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