Cape Town
Their motto is ‘anything you can dream up in wire we will build’. And if you visit this social project, designed to create sustainable employment, and see…
Must-see shopping in Africa
Johannesburg
Spilling out of Arts on Main onto Fox St is this buzzy weekly market. You'll find the usual selection of takeaway food stalls downstairs (look out for the…
Lilongwe
An oasis of fine dining and upmarket shopping, featuring clothing and design boutiques, a bar, a restaurant and a cafe, Four Seasons is a restful one-stop…
Dar es Salaam
At this excellent workshop, artists with disabilities create world-class jewellery, sculptures, candles, stationery and other crafts from old glass, metal…
Nairobi
More than 600 wildlife bronzes by Denis Mathews (from jewellery and small lion-cub-footprint dishes to much larger pieces running into thousands of…
Safi
Safi's famed ceramics are showcased in this huge shop and gallery near Bab Chaaba. English-speaking owner Mehdi Serghini is in the seventh generation of a…
Cameroon
South of town, the Village des Artisans seems to produce more handicrafts than the rest of Cameroon combined. Get ready for some bargaining and banter –…
Lagos
Out in the gated Parkview estate, Quintessence sells artworks and crafts, with an especially good selection of clothes and some antique carvings and…
St George Interior Decoration & Art Gallery
Addis Ababa
One of Addis Ababa's classiest places to shop, St George has everything from antique silver crosses and contemporary textiles to wide-ranging books about…
Southern Highlands
The craft store at the Boma museum has a terrific selection of gifts and crafts, with a specialism in quality handwoven fabrics. This is the place to buy…
Essaouira
Essaouira’s first concept store – curated by Parisian Christelle Pailly – stocks a superstylish mix of Moroccan and Moroccan-based designers for women,…
Windhoek
This place is an outlet for heaps of wonderful Namibian inspiration – leatherwork, basketry, pottery, jewellery, needlework, hand-painted textiles and…
Simon's Town & Southern Peninsula
This wonderful gallery is stocked with an eclectic and appealing range of arts and crafts, and there are often exhibitions here by local artists. Check…
Djerba
Italian owned and exhibiting the sleek style that modern Italy is known for, this concept store sells quality items including Amarante toiletries, stylish…
Arusha
Quality handicrafts and classy homewares, children's toys and national-park maps – Schwari has picked the best of local crafts to create a fine collection…
Port Louis
The model-ship manufacturer Voiliers de l'Océan has an outlet just outside the Craft Market with dozens of model ships, large and small, on display and…
The Great Reef
The Tuléar outpost of this celebrated purveyor of fine Malagasy chocolates carries a small but exquisite range – buy by the piece or in prewrapped packs.
Johannesburg
Arts and crafts from across South Africa as well as Mali, Ghana and the Ivory Coast are attractively displayed here – you'll be spoiled for souvenir…
Luxor
This delightful treasure trove of Egyptian crafts, near Medinat Habu on the west bank, is run by friendly Khairy and his family. Inside you'll find…
Cape Town
This former biscuit factory houses an ace collection of arts, craft, fashion and design shops, as well as places to eat and drink.
Cape Town
As well as good places to eat and drink, there's a fair amount of original retail at the Exchange, including the boutique Kingdom, which mixes fashion and…
La Poterie Chez La Famille Kabor
Skoura
Down the hill, 1km from Chez Talout, three generations of the same family handcraft earthen bread ovens and elegant urns, along with easier-to-transport…
Cameroon
A huge, atmospheric complex of roofed stalls selling crafts from around Cameroon, but mainly the grasslands region. You can buy wonderful masks, baskets,…
eSwatini (Swaziland)
One of eSwatini's major tourist attractions, this superb glass-blowing factory and boutique showcases a fantastic selection of animal figurines, vases,…
Akamba Handicraft Industry Cooperative Society
Mombasa
This cooperative employs an incredible 10,000 people from the local area. It’s also a non-profit organisation that produces fine woodcarvings, from animal…
Kilifi
Right next to the Wild Living Cafe on the southern outskirts of Kilifi, this excellent shop showcases the wares of four local, ecofriendly Fair Trade…
Cape Town
Shining a light on the graphic art and illustration talents of local artists, as well as importing some great pieces from France and elsewhere, this…
Green Point & Waterfront
Buddha statues meet Nigerian tribal crowns at this interior design emporium piled high with treasures from across Africa and Asia. Here also, in a…
Bombolulu Workshops & Cultural Centre
South Coast
This non-profit organisation produces crafts of a high standard and gives vocational training to physically disabled people. Visit the workshops and…
eSwatini (Swaziland)
A mandatory stop for the souvenir hunter, Swazi Candles is one of the most famous handicrafts outlets in Southern Africa. Here you can wax lyrical about…
Cape Town
Colourful beadwork crafts, made by local township women, are Monkeybiz’s super-successful stock in trade – you'll find their products around the world,…
Cape Town
Locally sourced clay is used in the Robertson-based factory to make these stylish, mainly monochrome ceramics that range from plates and mugs to…
Cairo
At a great central location, Oum El Dounia sells an exceptionally tasteful and good-value selection of locally made crafts. These include glassware,…
Agadir
A massive, rambling jumble of over 6,000 stalls with all the atmosphere you'd want from the largest souq in the region. On offer are spices, pottery,…
Sea Point to Hout Bay
Browsing the stalls at this little village-green market, a fundraiser for the Lions Club of Hout Bay social-upliftment organisation, is a lovely way to…
Lamu Island
This upmarket gallery is the place to come if you're a serious Africana collector. There are pieces from all over the continent and beyond, from…
Cape Town
Although the shop’s name is an acronym for ‘Less is More’, this interior design shop has been so successful that they've had to add more room by expanding…
Sea Point to Hout Bay
A court order may have stopped this shop from using the name Dolce & Banana for its bead jewellery, but otherwise it hasn’t put a dent in this long…
Malindi
We really wish it were our shop, stocked as it is with cowrie-studded Congolese and West African carvings and masks to tempt collectors. Some great…
São Tomé
Looking for a souvenir? This artisans cooperative contains a fantastic collection of wood carvings, by far the best in the city, and more limited…
