Along with golden-haired surfer dudes and more hikers than you can shake a walking stick at, you’ll also find some rather glamorous fashionistas roaming the streets of Cape Town – and you can be sure they didn’t source their wardrobe at the V&A! In recent years, Cape Town has become a mecca for incredible home-grown design and craftsmanship, and you’ll find a host of local designs that wouldn’t look out of place on the pages of Vogue or the streets of NYC (and some of them are!). So, if you really want to do some shopping in Cape Town, read on….
Start your shop-hopping bright and early at the top of Kloof Street. As well as epic views of the mountain, you’ll also find fresh coffee, warm croissants and eggs every way at Manna Epicure – the perfect start to a day of serious pavement pounding. When you’ve finished munching, make your way down the hill to Mr and Mrs – you’ll be hooked by the hot pink façade and once you’re inside, the drool-worthy collection of clothing, homewares, ceramics and jewellery sourced from all over the world will have you reaching for your credit card. Next door, Arabesque is equally as enchanting and you’ll wish you had an entire suitcase spare for their pretty furnishings and trinkets.
As you meander down Kloof, keep your eyes peeled for Ashanti’s eccentric beanbags and cushions, and you’ll soon arrive at the Lifestyle Centre. A sophisticated one-stop shop, you’ll find a Woolies, The Olive Branch deli (for those craving some fresh Burrata in this part of the world), the best wine shop in town, several excellent, purely South African gift shops and the cherry on top, Purr, a clothing boutique that stocks several local designers as well as a smattering of achingly-hip European labels.
At the end of Kloof, cross over at traffic lights and a short hop up the hill will take you up to Bree Street. Known for being Cape Town’s gastronomic mile, there are a couple of boutiques worth checking out in between the eateries. Kirsten Goss and Missibaba are formidable forces in the South African design world, the former for her glittering jewels, carefully shaped into stunning cocktail rings and oversized earrings, and the latter for her intricate leather goodies. Handily, they’re both housed in the same building – and one that you’ll find hard to leave! A few doors down, another favourite is Skinny LaMinx where you can buy playful fabrics by the meterage as well as ready-made items – the kiddies range will have you reaching deep!
Next up, it might be time to pay a visit to Cape Town’s most famous baker, Jason. His bakery on Bree Street is the best place in the city for a coffee and croissant, hands down, and if something more substantial is required, tuck into the delectable list of sarnies. Once refuelled, tackle the hill up to Bo-Kaap and Abi James’ fabulous jewellery studio (by appointment only). The space is also her home, and whilst you window-shop her gorgeous furniture, have your credit card at the ready for the bespoke jewellery line, Soul Design. Made in Cape Town, the collection is inspired by Abi’s travels across Africa and is bohemian, beautiful and will have you dreaming of the far-flung corners of the globe.
In the afternoon, take a stroll down to the centre of town. The CBD has come a long way since the days of beaded necklaces and wooden carvings (though they’re never far away!), and the streets are packed full of hip boutiques and urban gems. An old-fashioned wander down Long Street will certainly unearth some delights, but a favourite on our list is Mungo & Jemima, a nest of elegant pieces by top-notch local designers and accessories to die for – wooden sunglasses and buttery-soft leather clutches anyone? Just opposite is MeMeMe, where rails are full of uber-trendy, mix-and-match separates, all handpicked by owner Doreen Southwood, and if a custom-made jumpsuit in traditional African fabric sounds up your street, WAG is the place for you.
If you’d like to take a little piece of South Africa home with you, take a detour off Long Street to Greenmarket Square. Stuffed to the rafters with vibrant stalls (and their equally vibrant owners!), it’s a mecca of African craftsmanship and curios and you’ll find everything from canvas paintings to impala-skin carpets, bottle-top handbags to ostrich leather belts. Bring your patience, some bartering skills, and be prepared to dig deep for the best of the bunch.
After a quick refreshment stop at the Village Idiot on Loop Street (via Merchant’s on Long, Cape Town’s original concept store that focuses on contemporary, pan-African design), take an Uber down to the V&A Waterfront. The first name on everyone’s lips when it comes to Cape Town shopping, we recommend avoiding the brand names in the mall – unless you packed badly in which case H&M should solve all clothing dilemmas – and head straight for the Watershed. The market-style hub is a haven for all things South African and the stylish clothing, furniture, gifts and jewellery will keep you occupied for hours. Fashion-wise, must-stops include the iconic Pichulik for quirky, rope-style jewellery as seen on the coolest of Cape Town’s stylistas, Hannah Lavery for breezy linen culottes and dresses, and August for handmade kaftans. If homewares tickle your fancy, Odeon have a fantastic selection of WonkiWare ceramics and Keri Muller’s Africa maps made out of old books (from Simple Intrigue), both of which deserve a special spot in your hand luggage.
If you can drag yourself away, squeeze in a quick visit to the Silo District, the V&A’s newest and glitziest shopping quarter, before the day’s over. If you missed Kirsten Goss earlier in the day, you’ll find her flagship store here, as well as the Southern Guild Gallery, a multi-faceted hot house of art, design and creativity. And if you’re looking for luxury fashion and high-end leather, you can’t do any better than Kat van Duinen and her beautiful flagship boutique. Exquisitely designed and filled to the brim with beautiful evening wear and expertly crafted leather accessories, you’ll never want to leave! Oh, and did we mention that you’re right next door to The Silo Hotel? We can hear those cocktails calling….
