South Africa Info
Joined: 23 Feb 2007
Posts: 16
Home Country: southafrica
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 Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2007 11:34 am Post subject: SHOPPING IN SOUTH AFRICA / SOUTH AFRICA SHOPPING GUIDE |
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SHOPPING IN SOUTH AFRICA
The numerous top class shopping malls in South Africa make the country a shopper's heaven. Upmarket boutiques and supermarkets generally coexist with a mass of street traders selling arts, crafts and anything else profitable. Stores are modern. Special purchases include Swakara hand-crafted gold, coats, gold, diamond and semi-precious stone jewellery, leather, suede and fur goods, ceramics and crafts, of which there are now a bewildering variety including many from the rest of the continent. Local wine, brandy and liqueur are cheap and usually excellent.
Shopping in South Africa is generally a pleasurable activity to the millions of consumers who frequent these shopping centres.
In Cape Town, Canal Walk is a shopping and entertainment complex with 400 shops, 18 cinemas and dozens of restaurants. It’s a good place to find hand-made leather and hide furniture, plus gifts and curios of all description.
Cavendish Square is a smaller, upmarket mall concentrating on high-end fashion.
Victoria Wharf, situated at the V&A Waterfront, has restaurants overlooking the bustling harbour, an art-house cinema and a number of stores offering top-quality South African art and objects.
Constantia Village is a Cape Dutch-style complex holding a handful of top-end stores – including a store that supplies locally made fashionable footwear and handbags - where ladies from the vineyard suburbs go to lunch and shop.
A short drive from the V&A Waterfront, on the Atlantic seaboard, are the suburbs of Green Point and De Waterkant. Green Point is home to a few small art galleries as well as furniture and décor stores, and De Waterkant is one of the city’s burgeoning trendy areas. The Cape Quarter, a collection of innovative stores set round a cobbled courtyard, is an excellent place to find contemporary furniture, lampshades, lights, vases and other unique home art.
In Johannesburg, Sandton City has received more facelifts than Cher and looks just as good. A favourite haunt of tourists and well-heeled locals, it has 300 shops, plus the added bonus of Nelson Mandela Square, a piazza containing fountains and a famous statue of Mandela, surrounded by eateries and designer stores.
Rosebank Mall attracts trendy youngsters in droves and is a pleasant mix of indoor and outdoor shopping areas, offering a mix of clothing, electronic goods, books, music and esoterica.
Eastgate, Northgate, Westgate, Southgate, Cresta, East Rand Mall and Fourways Malls are similarly styled shopping behemoths in different areas of Johannesburg. So wherever you’re staying you’ll find a one-stop shopping centre offering every gift, memento and precious trinket you need.
The Oriental Plaza in Fordsburg, near Johannesburg’s CBD, is a multi-level bazaar warm with the fragrance of curry and incense and the welcome of shopkeepers who run their own stores. Creators of breathtakingly beautiful saris and sari fabric can be found here. Bright with lanterns and colourful drapes, the centre has long been the first stop for anyone wanting the best in fabrics, curtaining and accessories.
Shopping hours
Mon-Fri 0900-1700, Sat 0900-1400, although there is an increasing trend to open later and all weekend in major tourist spots.
Banking hours
Mon-Fri 0900-1530, Sat 0830-1100.
Currency
Rand (ZAR) = 100 cents. Notes are in denominations of ZAR200, 100, 50, 20 and 10. Coins are in denominations of ZAR5, 2 and 1, and 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 cents.
Currency exchange
Money can be changed at banks, bureaux de change, some hotels, and larger shops and restaurants. Automated foreign exchange machines and ATMs are available at various locations. Proof of identify may be requested; therefore, it is advisable to carry a passport.
Credit & debit cards
MasterCard and Visa are preferred. American Express and Diners Club are also widely accepted. Some ATMs will give cash advances with credit cards. Credit cards are not accepted at petrol stations. Check with your credit or debit card company for details of merchant acceptability and other facilities which may be available.
Traveller's cheques
Valid at banks, hotels, restaurants and shops. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take traveller's cheques in Pounds Sterling or US Dollars.
Currency restrictions
The import of local currency is limited to ZAR5000 in cash. The export of local currency is limited to ZAR500 in cash. The import and export of foreign currency is unlimited provided it is declared upon arrival or departure. |
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