Cape Town Shopping Guide

CAPE TOWN SHOPPING GUIDE Cape Town is a Mecca for African art sourced both locally and from around the rest of Africa. It is important to bear in mind that in addition to African curio shops, shopping in Cape Town is done the same as you would anywhere else in the world. There is a definite combination of first and third worlds in Cape Town. Similarly to other parts of the world, the clothing industry in Cape Town has taken a knock due to cheaper imports – as such, you can easily pick up some bargains if that is what you are looking for. Our shopping guide will provide you with a list of the best loved shopping spots in the Mother City. AFRICA NOVA Shop A5/6, Ground Level, The Watershed, Victoria Wharf Shopping Centre +27 21 408 7600 Africa Nova brings customers the best of African craft, art and design from not only South Africa, but the rest of the continent. Renowned for its innovative displays that combine contemporary products with traditional artefacts, Africa Nova is proud to be associated with some of the foremost creative talents in Africa. https://www.waterfront.co.za/stores/ africa-nova AVOOVA 61A Shortmarket Street, Cape Town City Centre +27 21 422 1620 Avoova features incredible functional artwork done out of ostrich egg shells. Once an ostrich egg has hatched, an employee from Avoova will collect the shells from the farms and take them to their factory where the magic begins. The Avoova initiative has been a large job creator in a village where work opportunities are few. Here, the artists create amazing pieces of art such as frames, plates mirrors, and so much more. https://www.avoova.com/za/ BLINK 71 Regent Road, Sea Point +27 21 434 0541 The ethos of Blink is a combination of aesthetics, functionality, affordability and quality. The main aim of the business is selling local products from jewellery to felting, wood, ceramics, basketry, toys and textiles. There is an abundance of local creative wealth that can be found at Blink. https://www.theblinkshop.co.za/ CAPE COBRA 43 Bree Street, Cape Town City Centre +27 60 646 6704 Established in 1972, Cape Cobra Leathercraft is Africa’s largest exporter of luxury exotic leather goods. The name pays homage to the Cape Cobra snake, native to Cape Town. The atelier handcrafts sustainably farmed Nile Crocodile, Ostrich, and Python skins into timeless pieces in a variety of vibrant colours and styles. https://www.capecobra.com/ FREE RANGE JEWELS Unit 24, Somerset Square, Green Point +27 21 418 3607 Marelé Moolman, driven by her passion for creating unique pieces and wanting to explore new horizons, joined the workshop of David Bolding in 2005 as assistant manager and in 2007 Free Range Jewels came into being as a result of Marele’s desire to keep her own creative energy vibrating. https://www.freerangejewels.co.za/ GALLERIES Cape Town is arguably the creative capital of South Africa. The city’s creative energy has over the years created a nurturing environment that continues to draw artists and creatives of all kinds to its shores. Art galleries that we believe are a must see for art enthusiasts are the Lisa King Gallery (De Waterkant), Everard Read (Victoria & Alfred Waterfront), Stevenson Gallery (Woodstock), The Cape Gallery (Cape Town City Centre), SMAC Gallery (Woodstock), Whatiftheworld (Cape Town City Centre), Woodman Gallery (Foreshore), the Norval Foundation (Steenberg Estate) and the Zeitz MOCCA (Silo District). GREEN MARKET SQUARE Burg Street & Longmarket Street, Cape Town City Centre Every morning traders lug carts loaded with wares to the square to set up and by the time the rest of the city awakes, the cobbled square is a bustling market filled with curios, food stalls, buskers, jewellery and clothing. This is one of the best places in Cape Town to buy curios and gifts for your loved ones back home, while supporting the entrepreneurial traders. There are stunning canvas artworks on sale, along with leather goods like sandals, handcrafted jewellery, ornaments, and much more. You could spend hours weaving between the colourful stalls, meeting some eccentric local characters and finding treasures to take home with you. https://www.capetown.travel/six-rea- sons-to-visit-greenmarket-square/ KALK BAY Kalk Bay, Cape Town, South Africa Kalk Bay is a local Cape Town village which is located on the seaside and boasts one of the smallest fishing harbours. It is also home to some of Cape Towns loveliest restaurants that offer the freshest fish and a delightful shopping ramble. Kalk Bay is a destination that many locals will head to on weekends – even just to stroll up and down on and relax. The stores are a mix of antiques, bric-a-brac, art galleries and two wonderful African trading stores. MERCHANTS ON LONG 34 Long Street, Cape Town City Centre +27 21 422 2828 Merchants on Long is an upmarket African boutique that features cutting-edge African fashion and accessories. It is a unique space that stocks designers from across the continent. If you are looking for bold patterns, interesting fabrics and statement pieces, then Merchants on Long is the place to shop. https://www.facebook.com/mer- chantscapetown/ MONKEY BIZ 61 Wale Street, Bo-Kaap +27 21 426 0145 A desire to create employment and empowerment for disadvantaged women in Cape Town has led to the creation of Monkey Biz. Monkey Biz supplies richly coloured glass beads to women in the townships of Cape Town. Employees get paid for each exquisite one-of-a-kind hand beaded piece that is produced. All profits go back into the communities via payment for bead art and provision of community services. https://www.monkeybiz.co.za/ MUNGO 78 Hout Street, Cape Town City Centre +27 21 201 2374 In 1998, master weaver Stuart Holding came in possession of two restored antique looms. He used these looms to weave limited runs of beautiful homeware textiles from what he called his “working weaving museum” – an old barn where passersby could watch him work. He sold the resulting small textiles in his wife Janet’s shop which led to an increasing demand and the expansion of Mungo production. https://www.mungo.co.za/ PAN AFRICAN MARKET 76 Long Street, Cape Town City Centre +27 21 426 4478 Pan African Market is a little market place where the entry is simply a doorway off Long Street. The store offers authentic African mementos, décor pieces, tribal masks, art and other collectables. There is a wonderful mix of local traders that sell inspired paintings, handcrafted bead and wire dolls, and uniquely carved drums, to name but a few items. https://www.capetown.travel/member/ the-pan-african-market/ SHOPPING MALLS For those hardened shoppers who really need to have a first world retail fix, you can either visit the infamous Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, the shopping hub of Cape Town that is built around a working harbour, Cavendish Square, the most upmarket shopping centre located in the Southern Suburbs, or Canal Walk Shopping Centre, located just off the N1, offering an abundance of shops for all types of shoppers under one roof. SKINNY LAMINX 201 Bree Street, Cape Town City Centre +27 21 424 6290 The Skinny laMinx recipe is simple: mix together a love of patterns, a cute shop, a top-notch team, and top it all off with equal parts of playfulness and chic. Heather Moore’s simple, clean pattern designs and unusual colour palettes are inspired by everyday things such as her love of mid-century style and a dose of African chic. https://www.skinnylaminx.com/ STREET- WIRES 77 Shortmarket Street, Bo-Kaap +27 21 426 2475 Streetwires helps to empower South African’s through sustainable employment whilst also providing unique products to clients looking for custom-made artworks and South African mementos. Employees at Streetwires create and market the very best contemporary African wire and beaded crafts that blend first world resources with traditional third world craft skills to the benefit of everyone involved. https://www.streetwires.co.za THE AFRICAN MUSIC STORE 134 Long Street, Cape Town City Centre +27 21 426 0857 The African Music Store has a fantastic range of African music. It is a unique, exciting and vibrant shopping experience that helps to give Long Street its creative heart and soul. Mark Charnas started the store a few years back with Helen Rose-Innes and Trevor Rosenfield. The store is a musical treasure trove with racks of CD’s spanning an impressive range of African music, as well as documentary DVD’s. t-shirts, traditional instruments and listening posts, with the walls being adorned with posters signed by famous African musicians. https://www.capetownmagazine.com/ the-african-music-store THE OLD BISCUIT MILL 375 Albert Road, Woodstock +27 21 447 8194 A vibrant community in the heart of Woodstock where talented people come together to share, collaborate and show off their heartfelt passions. The Old Biscuit Mill is home to dynamic office spaces, a range of workshops and designer stores, decadent restaurants, food stalls, as well as an inspiring line-up of day and night markets, festivals and productions. You are able to meet some of South Africa’s most innovative and creative designers, artists, photographers and connoisseurs of fine taste and décor. https://www.theoldbiscuitmill.co.za/ THE WATERSHED 17 Dock Road, Victoria and Alfred Waterfront +27 21 408 7600 The Watershed is a beautiful space that is home to more than 150 tenants who represent over 365 brands. A vast selection of products can be found – from ceramics and furniture, to textiles, fashion and jewellery.

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