Mainly thanks to the
brilliant exchange rate, shopping is a popular
pastime for visitors to Cape Town. The city has embraced American
mall culture, and the majority of shopping precincts in Cape Town
have been decentralised to suburban shopping malls, with 100's of
shops under 1 roof. The most remarkable malls are the Victoria Wharf
at the V&A Waterfront, Tyger Valley in the Northern Suburbs,
Cavendish Square in Claremont, and Canal Walk at Century City.
However, there are still smaller shops to be found, all offering
numerous bargains. There are also many markets,
mostly informal, that continue to flourish in the city centre and
along main roads in the suburban areas. While shopping malls are
generally open 9.00 am to 9.00 pm Monday to Saturday and even Sunday
10.00 am to 4.00 pm, central city hours are 8.30 am to 5.00 pm Monday
to Friday and 8.30 am to 1.00 pm on Saturday. Muslim owned businesses
close 12.00 pm to 1.00 pm on Friday.
Since the end of apartheid, Cape Town has grown to be a Mecca for
traders from all over Africa and it is achievable to buy African
art from all corners of the continent within a few city
blocks. A sightseeing location in its own right, Greenmarket Square,
Shortmarket Street, in the city centre, has a market that is open
Monday to Saturday, stocking an assorted range of goods, including
local jewellery, African art, handmade clothing, music, books and
antiques.
The majority of the streets that fan out from Greenmarket Square
are also filled with street traders offering African
goods, while The Pan African Market, 76 Long Street, is an experience
within itself. Wall to wall African art and curios is packed into
the double storey labyrinth of shops, open Monday to Saturday. Tiny
tin can sculptures sit alongside wooden behemoths of tribal masks,
while hair braiders, leathersmiths, djembe drum tutors and West
African tailors practice their crafts and an informal café
offers refreshments.
For further arts, curios, clothing and crafts,
the daily Waterfront Craft Market, situated in the Blue Shed at
the V&A Waterfront, next to the Two Oceans Aquarium, is the
perfect place for visitors to pick up a few trademark Capetonian
gifts. The Green Point Fleamarket, which is outside Green Point
Stadium, Somerset Road, is held every Sunday and public holidays
and is the largest of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere, boasting
numerous stalls selling anything from African art and antiques to
fake international labels. However, pickpockets like this area even
more than bargain hunters do, therefore it is recommended to be
cautious.
A fantastic lightweight gift that is truly indicative
of Cape Town is wire sculpture, from as little as R 10 for a wire
daisy to R 600 for a replica African hut. Streetwires,
77/79 Shortmarket Street, is a scheme to empower unemployed South
Africans and supplies several creative contemporary wire and bead
products, which can be made to order. For a tasty South African
specialty, biltong (dried raw meat) is available in nearly every
shopping market throughout the city. Visitors should observe, however,
that importing biltong might be illegal in some countries. A far
safer exportable gift is wine, which is accessible en route on a
Winelands tour for as little as R 20 a bottle. Other South African
specialties include hand stitched ostrich leather, Rooibos tea and
African rubber sandals.
The Montebello Design Centre, 31 Newlands Avenue, has brilliant
ethnic crafts for sale as well as a charming tearoom,
while African
Image, Shop 6228 Table Bay Mall, V&A Waterfront, specialises
in authentic African tribal art and artefacts, a dream for collectors.
Antique lovers should explore Church Street and the section of Long
Street just off Church Street. Also in Long Street, the fashion
fanatic will be spellbound by the incredible offerings on show at
Yin, 224a Long Street, a diverse boutique that specialises in clothes
designed and handmade by women from various African communities
and countries. A varied collection of African music
can be listened to and purchased at The African Music Store, 90
Long Street.
VAT stands at 14 % on all goods sold in Cape Town,
however this is largely ignored in the markets. Visitors can reclaim
VAT upon departure for purchases over R 250, given that all receipts
have been kept, the appropriate tax invoices have been acquired
and filled in where necessary, and the goods are exported within
90 days of purchase. These, along with the goods, must be shown
to the VAT Refund Administrator at the airport international departures
terminal. A refund is then paid after passing through Passport Control.
The VAT Refund Office is situated at the Cape Town Tourism
Centre provides further information and helps with the
necessary paperwork beforehand:
Cape Town Tourism Centre
Address: First Level, Clock Tower Centre, V&A Waterfront
Telephone: (021) 405 4545
Facsimile: (021) 405 4587
Email address: info@taxrefunds.co.za
Website address: www.taxrefunds.co.za |
