Shopping · Johannesburg · South Africa
Shopping in Johannesburg
Shopping streets, markets and souvenirs worth the suitcase space.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Moongateclimber assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Johannesburg is South Africa's shopping capital, with vast malls in Sandton and Rosebank, design and craft markets, and Indian bazaars in Fordsburg. Best souvenirs: Zulu beadwork, Telephone-wire baskets and Rooibos tea.
Key facts
- Shopping areas
- 4
- Markets
- 2
- Top souvenir
- Zulu beadwork
Where to shop
Sandton City and Nelson Mandela Square
One of the largest malls in Africa, with international and South African brands and restaurants on the square.
Rosebank
The Mall of Rosebank, galleries and design shops, plus a long-running African craft market.
44 Stanley
A converted industrial complex in Milpark with independent fashion, design shops and courtyard cafés.
Fordsburg and Oriental Plaza
Long-established Indian shopping district for fabrics, spices, clothing and bargains.
Markets
Rosebank Sunday Market
Crafts, art, antiques and food stalls on the rooftop of the Mall of Rosebank every Sunday.
Neighbourgoods Market
Saturday food and design market in Braamfontein with local producers and live music (usually Saturdays).
What to buy
Zulu beadwork
Beaded jewellery and decorative pieces in bright colour patterns that once carried coded messages.
Telephone-wire baskets
Colourful woven bowls made from recycled telephone wire, a Zulu craft.
Rooibos tea
Loose-leaf or bagged rooibos and honeybush teas pack light and travel well.
South African wine
Supermarkets and wine shops sell Cape wines at low prices; check your home allowance.
Shweshwe fabric
Indigo-dyed printed cotton used in traditional Sotho and Xhosa clothing, sold by the metre or made up.
Biltong
Vacuum-packed dried meat; check your destination's import rules before packing it.
Streets and markets worth a wander
Street · Soweto
Vilakazi Street and Mandela House
Nelson Mandela lived in the small brick house at 8115 Vilakazi Street in Orlando West from 1946 until his arrest in the early 1960s; it is now a museum with family photographs and bullet marks on the walls.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- History
- Food
Neighbourhood · Maboneng
Maboneng street art and galleries
Maboneng's converted warehouses around Fox Street hold galleries, studios, cafés and an independent cinema, and large murals by South African and international artists cover the walls.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Art
- Food
- Shopping
- Photo spot
Landmark · Sandton
Nelson Mandela Square
A paved piazza within the Sandton City complex, overlooked by a six-metre bronze statue of Nelson Mandela unveiled in 2004.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Shopping
- Kids
Gallery · Rosebank
Rosebank galleries and Keyes Art Mile
A cluster of commercial galleries around Jellicoe Avenue and Keyes Avenue shows leading contemporary South African and African artists, with design shops and restaurants in between.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Art
- Shopping
Food and drink to take home
Edible souvenirs travel best when they are dry or sealed: consider Biltong and droëwors, Vetkoek, Malva pudding and Koeksisters. Butcheries and dedicated biltong shops in malls; supermarkets sell vacuum-packed versions. Check your home country's rules on bringing food and drink back.
Shopping by neighbourhood
| Area | Price level | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Sandton | $$$$ | Glass towers, Nelson Mandela Square and the city's biggest malls |
| Rosebank | $$$ | Galleries, a Sunday rooftop market and a walkable centre by Joburg standards |
| Parkhurst | $$$ | Leafy suburb with a restaurant strip on 4th Avenue |
| Melville | $$ | Bohemian bars and guesthouses on and around 7th Street |
| Braamfontein | $$ | Student district with rooftop bars, galleries and a Saturday food market |
| Soweto (Orlando West) | $ | Township guesthouses close to Vilakazi Street and the Hector Pieterson Memorial |
Paying and bargaining
Prices are in ZAR. Tip about 10–15% in restaurants, a small amount to petrol attendants and car guards, and round up for ride-hailing drivers. Tour guides and game rangers are usually tipped at the end of a tour.
- Greet people before asking a question; a 'Hello, how are you?' is expected even in shops.
- Informal car guards watch parked cars outside shops and restaurants and expect a small tip when you leave.
When to shop
Shops and markets are quietest in May–June and December; the busiest months are the peak holidays.
Staying near the shops
$$$$ · Best for first-timers, shopping, luxury and families
Sandton
Glass towers, Nelson Mandela Square and the city's biggest malls
Questions travellers ask
+What should I buy in Johannesburg?
Zulu beadwork, Telephone-wire baskets, Rooibos tea and South African wine.
+Where is the best shopping in Johannesburg?
Sandton City and Nelson Mandela Square: One of the largest malls in Africa, with international and South African brands and restaurants on the square.
+What are the best markets in Johannesburg?
Rosebank Sunday Market and Neighbourgoods Market.