8 Best Shopping in Cape Town City Centre, Cape Town

Open since 1957, Clarke's specializes in African literature and non-fiction works, with a specific focus on Southern Africa. There are new and second books to browse including contemporary current affairs and historical rare finds. 

If you aren't crazy about traditional African artifacts à la Greenmarket Square, you might want to visit this store, which stocks contemporary and elegant African art and jewelry.

Look here for contemporary and funky African art and township crafts, colorful cloth from Nigeria and Ghana, plus West African masks, Malian blankets, and beaded designs from southern African tribes. Local and international collectors, as well as local institutions such as the South African National Gallery and the Standard Bank Collection of African Art, buy goods here. It's a top-notch place offering fair-trade pricing. They also have a branch at the Watershed Market in the V&A Waterfront.

The people who work here are passionate about African music and eager to pass on their love to anybody who lends them half an ear. You could easily spend a couple of hours listening to any and everything in the store. With a listening booth to sample any CD in the shop, you're bound to find something here that captures the heart of the country for you.

Visit this historic square to find a plethora of African jewelry, art, crafts, and fabrics, as well as good buys on clothing (especially T-shirts), and locally made leather shoes and sandals. It's one of the best places in town to purchase souvenirs and gifts, but it's lively and fun whether or not you buy anything. More than half the stalls are owned by people from other parts of Africa, and if you stop to chat, you'll find political and economic refugees from Ethiopia, Eritrea, Zimbabwe, and the Democratic Republic of Congo trying to eke out a living. Bargain, but do so with a conscience.

You'll see some glorious cultural contradictions here. The lobby boasts lovely if dusty Victorian tiling, while the first and second floors are a beehive of traders in new and old folk art, with representatives from most locales in West, sub-Saharan, and southern Africa. Order a custom-tailored garment, choose a mask from among the many thousands, and don't be afraid to bargain.

Cape Town's best independent bookstore has a fantastic selection of titles, with many classics and contemporary must-haves on all things African. It also frequently hosts readings and book launches and has a nice café downstairs where you can enjoy a cappuccino while browsing.

At this row of antique stores in the heart of Long Street, you'll find all sorts of collectibles, artifacts, furniture, and jewelry. It's a treasure trove with friendly owners who are knowledgeable and always up for a chat.