 Cape Town is an affordable shopping destination with a wide variety of goods on offer. From hand-crafted jewellery, intricate beadwork and traditional African art to designer labels, diamonds and precious stones, Cape Town has a shopping experience for everyone.
SHOPPING MALLS
Cape Town is home to many upmarket shopping malls most of which include big chain stores and smaller boutiques as well as banking facilities, restaurants and coffee shops and movie theatres. Depending on their locations, some malls also offer curio shops. Most malls offer safe pay-per-hour parking.
The major shopping malls are: V&A Waterfront, Cavendish Square in Claremont, Constantia Village in Constantia, Bayside Centre in Blouberg, Canal Walk on the N1, outside the city centre, Tygervalley in Durbanville and Somerset Mall in Somerset West. Most shopping centres are open for shopping Monday - Saturday from 9am - 5pm and Sundays 10am - 1pm. Some offer later shopping hours on Friday nights and the Waterfront and Canal Walk are open for shopping until 9pm every evening. Movie theatres and restaurants stay open later.
  
MARKETS & UNIQUE SHOPPING EXPERIENCES
A visit to one of Cape Towns markets is a great way to pick-up gifts and souveniers from a wide variety of local designers, artists and entrepreneurs. The cobble-stoned Greenmarket Square in the centre of town is a vibrant craft market where you will experience the pulse of Cape Town. African carvings, masks and drums, beadwork and jewellery are displayed alongside clothing, leatherwork and ceramics. Items are generally well-priced and at some stores bargaining is acceptable.
The Red Shed Craft Workshop and the Waterfront Craft Market - both at the Waterfront - are indoor markets open 7-days a week. Clothing, jewellery and an array of crafts and artwork are available. Sunday is the time to head to the Greenpoint Market in the parking area of Greenpoint stadium. The market is a a flea-market and craft-market combined with goods from CD's and sunglasses to African art and beads on sale. Open-air craft markets are held on most weekends in various areas including Hout Bay, Constantia, Kirstenbosch and Rondebosch. Look out for posters for details.
The quaint main street in Kalk Bay is great for antiques, memorabilia and bargains - enjoy a coffee at one of the steetside cafe's while you're there. Hout Bay also offers an array of craft shops and galleries - all set in beautiful surroundings. Set in the heart of trendy Green Point, the Cape Quarter offers home décor, art and artefacts, fashion, beauty, health and lifestyle related stores all housed in a unique Cape Malay architecture. Shops, boutiques and cafes are abuzz by day and restaurants and bars bring the piazza alive by night.
  
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