5 Best Places to Shop in Johannesburg, South Africa

The dappled sunshine courtyards of this 1930s industrial block are lined with ateliers, galleries, family-owned cafés and restaurants, and one-of-a-kind stores. On the border of Melville, 44 Stanley is the kind of place where you can easily spend half the day—getting a custom T-shirt printed or a dress tailored, flipping through vinyls, picking out a limited-edition print, choosing a holiday memento, or simply window shopping. It's also the newfound home of a few businesses that have relocated from Maboneng, such as the independent Bioscope cinema that screens independent documentaries and film festivals, and hosts live music performances as well as stand-up comedy. Although there are many options to choose from for a bite to eat at 44 Stanley, the much-loved Little Addis Café is a must, if you want to give authentic Ethiopian cuisine a try. There is free street-side parking with car guards directly outside this leafy lifestyle complex, an off-street parking lot on Owl Street, or in the underground parking lot at Stanley Studios.

Established in 1913, the gallery is one of the oldest commercial art galleries in South Africa. The privately owned gallery acts as an agent for several important South African and African artists and sculptors, and it specializes in modern and contemporary artwork, particularly wildlife paintings and sculpture.

The highly successful, five-plus-decade-old Goodman Gallery presents exciting monthly exhibitions by the stars of contemporary African and African diaspora art, including William Kentridge, David Goldblatt, Kudzanai Chiurai, and Sue Williamson. Its website also hosts online viewing rooms.

The Rosebank Sunday Market, in the parking lot on the rooftop of Rosebank Mall, has become a Sunday tradition in the city. Some 600 stalls sell African and Western crafts by local artisans, antiques, art, handmade clothing, trinkets, bric-a-brac, and more. It's also a great place to fill your picnic basket, with tempting specialties from Greek wraps to Thai spring rolls, and gourmet cupcakes. African musicians, dancers, and other entertainers delight the crowds between the alleyways.

The Welwitschia Country Market sells handmade arts and crafts—which make for great souvenirs—among other gifts and trinkets at around 40 shops and stalls in the shade of giant trees. There are three restaurants and a beer garden with live music on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. It's especially bustling on weekends, as there is a children's playground area. There is ample free parking and you can find detailed directions on the website.