Must-see shopping in West Africa

  • Jazz Hole

    Lagos

    An offspring of the great Glendora Books, Jazz Hole is primarily a book and record store. In this oasis of calm in the mile-a-minute city, sip tea in the…

  • Outside view, Global Mamas

    Global Mamas

    Accra

    This shop, which stocks pretty dresses, hats, tops, accessories (including lush scented shea butter) and kids clothes in colourful fabrics, is part of a…

  • Village des Artisans

    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 –…

  • Quintessence

    Lagos

    Out in the gated Parkview estate, Quintessence sells artworks and crafts, with an especially good selection of clothes and some antique carvings and…

  • Marché des Fleurs

    Cameroon

    A huge, atmospheric complex of roofed stalls selling crafts from around Cameroon, but mainly the grasslands region. You can buy wonderful masks, baskets,…

  • Pica Pau

    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…

  • Gafreh

    Burkina Faso

    This brilliant initiative, a women's cooperative, recycles the millions of black sachets handed out with purchases across Burkina into chic handbags,…

  • The Shop Accra

    Accra

    Opened by sisters Lorraine and Loretta Ocloo, The Shop Accra was a first for the city. Not just a hip shop offering jewellery, fashion and all kinds of…

  • Ndar Ndar Music & Cafe

    Senegal

    Ndar Ndar is a delightful little shop, with a small coffee bar in front and a spread of CDs for sale in back. There's reggae, jazz, folk and, of course,…

  • Woodin

    Accra

    The place to come for Ghanaian wax print fabrics, Woodin has proved so popular that there are branches throughout Ghana. If you've no time to find a…

  • Outside view, Artists Alliance Gallery

    Artists Alliance Gallery

    Accra

    A well-respected gallery with three neatly organised floors of painting and sculpture by established and up-and-coming Ghanaian artists. Every item has an…

  • Labone Green Market

    Accra

    Health conscious Ghanaians and expats alike fancy this weekly farmer-style market to top up on organically grown fruits and vegetables. There is also…

  • Colours in Africa

    Accra

    In this small tidy store, Charity Jobarteh sells crafts and souvenirs that she picks up on her journeys through West Africa and beyond. Next to the…

  • My Real Brother Shop

    Accra

    Surrounded by open-air carpenter workshops, this dusty wooden shack is stuffed with artefacts from all over West Africa. Nothing here is mass produced,…

  • Outside view, Vidya Books

    Vidya Books

    Accra

    Accra's most popular stop for new fiction and magazines.

  • Praia Shopping

    Cabo Verde

    In a scenic bend on the coastal road, Praia Shopping is a sleek shopping centre, with colourful clothing shops stocked with beach and casual wear, plus an…

  • Marché Kermel

    Dakar

    The covered Marché Kermel, behind Ave Sarraut and within walking distance of Marché Sandaga, sells a mixture of foodstuffs and souvenirs. It's mainly…

  • Marché des HLM

    Dakar

    The fabulous Marché des HLM is the best place to buy African fabrics. Hundreds of rolls of wax-dyed bazin cloth, vibrant prints, embroidered cloth, lace…

  • Les Ateliers Tësss

    Senegal

    Les Ateliers Tësss displays and sells beautiful woven textiles, which feature natural dyes and high-quality organic cotton. The remarkable gallery keeps…

  • Centre for National Culture

    Accra

    A warren of stalls selling arts and crafts, known simply as the Arts Centre, this is the place to shop in Accra. The level of aggressive hassling may make…

  • Cap Vert Design

    Mindelo

    A fine place to browse for gift ideas, Cap Vert Design has dolls, aprons, T-shirts, jams, wicker bottles for grogue, Batik paintings, wallets made of…

  • Jankara Market

    Lagos

    Jankara Market is the largest market in Lagos and sells everything from tie-dyed cloth, trade beads and jewellery to pirate cassettes, pottery and…

  • Marché Sandaga

    Dakar

    In the endless sprawl of street stalls here you can buy just about anything (as long as no one steals your purse): you'll find tapestries, wood carvings,…

  • Big Market

    Sierra Leone

    The top floor of the Big Market, or Basket Market, in downtown, has a larger selection than markets in Lumley. What makes this the best place to shop for…

  • Timbooktoo

    Serekunda & Atlantic Coast Resorts

    A delightful bookshop that stocks a good selection of West African titles, plus fiction and children's books. You'll also find a selection of African…

  • Marché Taouyah

    Conakry

    This dark, covered market is a confusing warren of passageways and stalls piled high in fish, fruit, junk and even a few natural medicines, talismans and…

  • L'Agneau Carnivale

    Senegal

    You'll find vintage prints, old B&W postcards, photographic books about Saint-Louis, CDs and original African paintings (in back) at this clean, well…

  • Village Artisanal Soumbédioune

    Dakar

    Although it lacks the energy of other markets, this is a good place to browse for souvenirs of all kinds, including wooden masks, paintings, jewellery,…

  • Wild Gecko Handicrafts

    Accra

    There's plenty to browse through here if you're looking for a souvenir, including handcrafted furniture, jewellery, textiles and clothing from around…

  • Marché du Niger

    Conakry

    Chaotic, colourful, smelly, fascinating and filthy dirty, the Marché du Niger is the city's most important market and a fun place to explore – just watch…

  • Cocktail du Sénégal

    Dakar

    The spacious Cocktail du Sénégal has a good selection of clothes, both for children and adults, along with a great variety of original gifts, souvenirs…

  • Bakau Cape Point Market

    Serekunda & Atlantic Coast Resorts

    A good place to pick up sculptures, batiks and souvenirs is this shaded open-air market on the main road. You can watch the carvers and craft makers in…

  • Victoria Park Market

    Sierra Leone

    This is the place to find colourful local wax cloths and gara (Sierra Leonean tie-die), as well as get custom outfits made.

  • African crafts

    Malabo

    Carved wooden crafts such as figurines and masks are on sale at the entrance to the Luna Complex.

  • Outside view, Marina Mall

    Marina Mall

    Accra

    Situated near the airport and easily reachable from all sides of the city, Marina Mall features 45 outlets across three floors, including designer fashion…

  • Outside view, Accra Mall

    Accra Mall

    Accra

    Has chain stores as well as supermarkets and a cinema.

  • Marché Tilène

    Dakar

    For a slice of local life, put on your best 'don't mess with me' face and head over to this buzzing market, which sprawls for several blocks off Ave…

  • Senegambia Craft Market

    Serekunda & Atlantic Coast Resorts

    Just off the busy highway, this open-air market has dozens of stalls where you can browse carvings, jewellery, clothing, baskets, tapestries and other…

  • Marché Madina

    Conakry

    The hectic, noisy sprawl of Marché Madina is where you get everything from Chinese homewares to indigo cloth, and sometimes a lost copy of Plato between…