4 Best Shopping in The Northern Cape, South Africa

Africa Now, which is loaded with objects from just about every inch of Africa—in bone, bead, wood, and resin—has a big warehouse in town. The store closes for lunch daily from 1 to 2.

The gift shop at Big Hole has Kimberley's best assortment of postcards, slides, books, videos, and knickknacks as well as a wide range of ethnic souvenirs such as T-shirts and pillow covers. (Postcards mailed in the pre-1902 Victorian mailbox outside the shop will receive a Kimberley Mine Museum postmark.) You can also buy diamonds and diamond jewelry here, but it may be useful to compare pieces and prices with the Jewel Box, down the road.

The Jewel Box & Big Hole Diamond Cutting Factory specializes in diamond jewelry and can custom-make a piece if you will be in town for a day or two. Although the Jewel Box doesn't boast about its prices, they are among the country's most reasonable, and they draw customers from as far as Johannesburg. On weekdays you can watch goldsmiths at work in the on-premises factory.

Kimberley Jewellers, around the corner from and a sister store of Africa Now, carries Euro-African jewelry, specializing in tanzanite and antique jewelry. It's open by appointment only.