Sierra Leone
Crammed with fruit and vegetable stalls, street food vendors and second-hand clothes, this is one of the city's busiest markets.
Must-see shopping in Africa
Monrovia
Has a colourful range of clothing with African prints (many of them locally sewn), laptop bags, purses, souvenirs and jewellery.
Mombasa
A good place to check out traditional furniture-making, or if you're looking for an attractive yet bulky souvenir to ship home.
Lilongwe
Services at this arcade include banks, currency exchange, shops and Crossroads Hotel.
Al Hoceima
Stock up on produce, spices, dates and other snacks at Al Hoceima's bustling street market. Fish is freshest in the mornings.
Johannesburg
This excellent bookshop deals in books on African literature, history, politics and art and has an African music section.
Cape Town
This attractive range of designer cotton children’s clothing has grown from a stall on Greenmarket Sq to a major brand.
Presbyterian Church Rwanda – Bethany
Rwanda
Has a craft shop selling banana-leaf cards, stuffed toys and colourful handbags to raise money for local women's groups.
North West Province
Rustenburg's main shopping mall, off Rte 24 around 3km south of the centre, is a safe and relaxing place for shopping.
Northern Mozambique
Held in the town's large stadium, this market is a good place for crafts. Go early, before things get hot and crowded.
Maputo
Diagonally opposite the South African High Commission, with a small selection of English-language books and magazines.
Cairo
A dusty treasure trove where you can rummage around to find everything from framed Arabic ad prints to escargot forks.
Moulay Idriss Zerhoun
This tiny hole-in-the-wall shop sells well-made flat baskets of all sizes, mats for the terrace, table mats and hats.
Cape Town
Features women’s clothes, made from linen, cotton and cashmere by Jenny le Roux, that are classical and practical.
Cairo
Immediately south of the Madrassa & Mausoleum of Qalaun. The more you look through the dust, the more pops out.
Luxor
Good place for embroidered shawls and white galabeyas (men's robes). This is where Egyptians come to shop.
Alexandria
This centrally located bookshop has a small English-language section that includes titles on Egypt and Alexandria.
Windhoek
Cape Union Mart, an outpost of the South African chain, has camping, hiking, cycling and vehicle-outfitting gear.
Cairo
The 50 or so stalls here yield occasional finds, and some stock fun gift items such as Arabic alphabet posters.
Lilongwe
A collection of buildings off Independence Dr containing shops, travel agents, restaurants, a bank and more.
Nouakchott
A handful of small shops line the street here selling wooden boxes with silver inlays, daggers and jewellery.
Île Sainte Marie
A great little grocery store where you'll find picnic and store-cupboard essentials, as well as toiletries.
Cotonou
A smart bookshop which stocks the latest periodicals, maps and some photography books on West Africa.
Lagos
There are some good crafts on offer including carvings, calabashes and some unfortunate animals' skins.
Tafraoute
A lively weekly souq takes place near Hôtel Salama. Small dealers sometimes sell Berber carpets here.
Stellenbosch
This open-air market is a great place to haggle for African carvings, paintings and costume jewellery.
Cairo
In an arcade set back from Sharia Al Gomhurriya; stocks the classic Arab crooners on CD and cassette.
Rio Muni
This small shack has a range of African souvenirs such as carved wooden figurines, masks and beads.
Lagos
The rambling maze of Balogun Market is excellent for clothes and fabric from across West Africa.
Sierra Leone
This small collection of stalls sells everything from second-hand clothes to cooking equipment.
Essaouira
Interesting private gallery showcasing the work of established and up-and-coming local artists.
Pretoria
This place peddles the usual flea-market paraphernalia, and has some handmade African crafts.
Cairo
Find rare books on Egypt and the Middle East, as well as lithographs, maps and engravings.
Victoria Falls (town)
A small complex of vendors selling Shona sculpture, handicrafts and other local souvenirs.
Tunis
This bookshop sells a few maps and travel guides, as well as some English-language titles.
Kampala
A modern shopping centre good for designer clothing, with a few eateries and a 3D cinema.
Cairo
Big indoor neighbourhood market with produce and meat; surrounding shops sell dry goods.
Kampala
Handy shopping centre to stock up on provisions, with restaurants, shops and a cinema.
Kampala
This all-round shopping centre is handy for food supplies and even camping equipment.
