Shopping · Cape Town · South Africa
Shopping in Cape Town
Shopping streets, markets and souvenirs worth the suitcase space.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Winstonza, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Cape Town is good for design, crafts, wine and food souvenirs. Independent boutiques line Bree and Kloof streets, while the V&A Waterfront combines a large mall with the Watershed craft and design market. Best souvenirs: Rooibos tea, Cape wine and Beadwork and wire art.
Key facts
- Shopping areas
- 3
- Markets
- 3
- Top souvenir
- Rooibos tea
Where to shop
V&A Waterfront
Victoria Wharf mall for international and South African brands, plus the Watershed's stalls of local designers, jewellers and craft makers.
Bree Street and Kloof Street
Independent fashion, homeware and design shops alongside cafés and galleries.
Woodstock
Design studios, galleries and furniture makers around the Old Biscuit Mill on Albert Road.
Markets
Neighbourgoods Market
Saturday food and design market at the Old Biscuit Mill in Woodstock.
Oranjezicht City Farm Market
Weekend farmers' and food market at Granger Bay near the V&A Waterfront, with views across the bay.
Bay Harbour Market
Indoor market in a converted fish-factory building in Hout Bay, with food, crafts and live music at weekends.
What to buy
Rooibos tea
Loose-leaf and flavoured rooibos from supermarkets and tea shops; light and easy to pack.
Cape wine
Buy at estates or wine shops; many will ship internationally if you are over your allowance.
Beadwork and wire art
Colourful beaded jewellery and wire sculptures made by local artisans, sold at the Watershed and craft markets.
Shweshwe fabric
Printed indigo cotton used in South African clothing, sold by the metre or made into bags and shirts.
Biltong
Vacuum-packed biltong travels well, but check your home country's rules on importing meat.
Streets and markets worth a wander
Waterfront · V&A Waterfront
V&A Waterfront
Cape Town's working harbour is also its busiest leisure district, with restaurants, the Victoria Wharf mall, the Watershed design and craft market, harbour cruises and street performers.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Shopping
- Food
- After dark
Food and drink to take home
Edible souvenirs travel best when they are dry or sealed: consider Biltong, Koesisters, Malva pudding and Rooibos tea. Butcheries and biltong shops across the city and in supermarkets. Check your home country's rules on bringing food and drink back.
Shopping by neighbourhood
| Area | Price level | Character |
|---|---|---|
| City Bowl and Gardens | $$ | Central streets below Table Mountain, from Bree Street restaurants to Kloof Street cafés |
| V&A Waterfront | $$$$ | Working harbour with hotels, the aquarium, Zeitz MOCAA and the Robben Island ferry |
| Sea Point | $$ | Apartment blocks along a seafront promenade with a public pool and ocean sunsets |
| Camps Bay | $$$$ | Palm-lined beach under the Twelve Apostles with sundowner terraces on Victoria Road |
| Woodstock | $$ | Former industrial district with street murals, design studios and the Old Biscuit Mill |
| Muizenberg and Kalk Bay | $$ | False Bay surf beach with painted huts and a fishing harbour with antique shops |
| Constantia | $$$ | Leafy southern suburb of historic wine estates and country hotels |
Paying and bargaining
Prices are in ZAR. Tip about 10–15% in restaurants if service is not already included, and round up for ride-hail drivers. Fuel-station attendants who fill your car and clean the windscreen expect a few rand, as do car guards.
- Greet people before starting a conversation or a request; a simple 'Hi, how are you?' is expected even in shops.
When to shop
Shops and markets are quietest in June; the busiest months are December–January.
- September: Hermanus Whale Festival (usually late September)
Staying near the shops
$$$$ · Best for families, luxury, first-timers and shopping
V&A Waterfront
Working harbour with hotels, the aquarium, Zeitz MOCAA and the Robben Island ferry
Questions travellers ask
+What should I buy in Cape Town?
Rooibos tea, Cape wine, Beadwork and wire art and Shweshwe fabric.
+Where is the best shopping in Cape Town?
V&A Waterfront: Victoria Wharf mall for international and South African brands, plus the Watershed's stalls of local designers, jewellers and craft makers.
+What are the best markets in Cape Town?
Neighbourgoods Market, Oranjezicht City Farm Market and Bay Harbour Market.