Are you ready to shop till you drop?
Its officially time to shop! From large malls to small boutiques, international brands to local designers and artists, Cape Town boasts an incredible variety of shopping malls for both the young and young at heart to enjoy. Cape Town’s vast array of shopping malls and centres, each of which is unique and exciting in its own right, means shoppers and self-proclaimed shopaholics can expect to find absolutely anything and everything their shopping-loving-heart desires when embarking on their Cape Town shopping adventure.
To help you along your merry shopping way, here are some of the best shopping malls in Cape Town. Happy shopping!
The V&A Waterfront
- Location: 19 Dock Rd, Cape Town
Of course we had to kick off our list of the top shopping malls in Cape Town with the very best of them all – The V&A Waterfront! Not only is the V&A Waterfront any shopaholic and avid shopping enthusiast’s dream come true, it offers shoppers and visitors an endless variety of exciting and incredible things to do, see, and experience.
Located in the heart of Cape Town, boasting incredible views of Table Mountain, the V&A Waterfront is a hustling and bustling meeting space where crowds gather to eat, drink, admire the views, and shop! With over 450 retail outlets, the V&A Waterfront is the ultimate hub of art, shopping, entertainment, culture, history, adventure, food, and everything in between.
Besides being the leading retail destination in the city, the V&A Waterfront is home to some of the most incredible restaurants (boasting over 80 of the most amazing restaurants in the Mother City), bars, hangout spots, eateries, and food markets in Cape Town. All of which can be thoroughly enjoyed by anyone and everyone, at any time, during any season, right throughout the year come rain or shine.
**Note: The Victoria & Albert Waterfront is one of the most popular tourist destinations in South Africa. Did you know that the V&A Waterfront, along with Table Mountain, Cape Point, Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, Robben Island, and Groot Constantia, is deemed one of Cape Town’s Big Six Attractions?
The V&A Waterfront is one of the most popular spots for tourists, offering an abundance of shopping and entertainment options. If you’re looking to add an extra dose of thrill and adventure to your Waterfront experience, here are some of the most exciting, fun, and bucket-list worthy things to see, do, and experience at the V&A Waterfront:
- Boat tours and sunset cruises along the Atlantic Ocean
- Have some fun at the Scratch Patch
- Visit the Clock Tower – One of the V&A Waterfront’s most iconic historic landmarks
- Enjoy a game of Cave Golf
- Visit the Springbok Experience Rugby Museum
- Explore the Silo District & Zeitz MOCAA Museum of Contemporary Art Africa
- Visit the Two Oceans Aquarium
- Let the kids take a ride on the Hamleys Express
- Visit the Chavonnes Battery Museum – Dating back to 1725 it is the harbour’s oldest heritage site
- Enjoy a self-guided walking historical tour, which starts at the Information Centre, or embark on a 90-minute guided tour that departs daily from the Chavonnes Battery Museum at 11am and 2pm
- Check out the Robinson Dry Dock – One of the oldest operating dry docks in the world
- Brush up on your marine history at the Iziko Maritime Centre
- Visit Nobel Square, which boasts bronze sculptures of South Africa’s Nobel Peace Prize winners
- Visit the V&A Food Market and the Watershed at the V&A
- Enjoy amazing up-close Cape Fur Seal sightings – These beloved members of the Marine Big 5 can be spotted while simply strolling along the V&A Waterfront harbour. You can also find them at the Clock Tower Precinct and on old tires lining the quayside.
- Enjoy incredible live performances – Talented local musicians and bands, street side buskers, and performing art groups regularly perform at various locations and stages throughout the Waterfront.
Canal Walk Shopping Centre
- Location: 490 Century Blvd, Century City, Cape Town
As the third largest shopping mall on the African continent, you can expect to find absolutely anything and everything you’re looking for at Canal Walk Shopping Centre. In addition to being the third largest shopping mall in Africa, Canal Walk is also deemed the biggest shopping mall in Cape Town.
Home to over 400 clothing stores, restaurants, major retailers, luxury boutiques, book shops, electronic and interior decorating stores, coffee shops, several entertainment areas and more, there is undoubtedly something for everyone at Canal Walk Shopping Centre. This is one Cape Town shopping mall where ‘shop till you drop’ is taken to a whole new level.
**Note: Canal Walk Shopping Centre has plenty of parking and underground parking spots available for shoppers. It also has several parking bays available for senior citizens and shoppers with small children.
Cape Quarter Lifestyle Village
- Location: 27 Somerset Rd, Green Point, Cape Town
Situated in De Waterkant, the Cape Quarter is a sophisticated retail and lifestyle centre that offers shoppers a rare and unique shopping experience right in the heart of the city centre. Boasting an array of carefully selected stores, each of which pride themselves on exceptional craftsmanship and premium design, shoppers can expect to find traditional African souvenirs, handmade jewellery, leather handbags, locally designed clothing, trendy workout gear, and so much more. Not to mention over 100 exclusive boutique stores.
In addition to its top retail status, the Cape Quarter Lifestyle Village also offers visitors and shoppers a variety of eateries, bars, and restaurants to choose from. Giving you the perfect opportunity to sit back, relax, and take a break from all your shopping escapades.
Gardens Shopping Centre
- Location: Mill Street, Oranjezicht, Cape Town
The idyllic Gardens Shopping Centre is another one of Cape Town’s top shopping malls. Located right in the city centre, just minutes away from Cape Town’s many famous sightseeing attractions and renowned landmarks, Gardens Shopping Centre is a wonderful cosmopolitan space and shopping hub attracting locals and visitors alike with its vibrant atmosphere, laid-back vibe, and countless shopping opportunities.
Providing shoppers with an alternative to big busy shopping malls, Gardens Shopping Centre is the perfect shopping mall / centre if you’re eager to get away from the hustle and bustle and escape the large shopping mall crowds. To top it off, this centre is the ideal place to find absolutely everything you need, from an array of amazing retailers and clothing stores, special boutiques, decorating stores, and hair salons, to internet cafés, printing shops, pharmacies, and grocery stores for all your essentials, Gardens Shopping Centre has it all. Not to mention incredible cafés and various restaurants and eateries.
Bayside Mall
- Location: 33 Blaauwberg Rd, Table View, Cape Town
Located roughly 20 minutes from Cape Town’s inner-city, Bayside Mall is one of the bigger lifestyle and shopping centres located along the Cape West Coast. This Cape Town shopping mall is particularly popular among those living in Blouberg, Big Bay, Tableview, Parklands and surrounds. However, Bayside Mall is also known to attract shoppers from Cape Town CBD as well as other surrounding areas who are only too happy to make the commute.
Offering shoppers something of everything, from huge Game stores, a vast variety of South Africa’s major retailers, luxury boutiques, book shops, an array of clothing stores, electronic and interior decorating stores, pharmacies, financial services, speciality retailers, grocery stores, several entertainment areas, a large food court, coffee shops, cafés, restaurants, and more, Bayside mall has everything your shopping-loving-heart desires. It is also one of very few Cape Town shopping malls that has a Ster Kinekor cinema complex – Making it an extremely popular choice among kids of all ages.
Somerset Mall
- Location: Centenary Drive, Intersection of N2 & R44 Somerset West, Somerset West
Located in the stunning area of Somerset West, this shopping compound is HUGE! It is so big in fact that you need a car to drive from one side of the mall to the other. Alternatively, you better make sure you put your comfortable walking shoes on before you embark on your Somerset Mall shopping trip, you’ll definitely thank us later. However, Somerset Mall recently launched a shuttle service specially for their customers to make it easier for them to get from one place to the next. They also have a Valet service available.
When shopping at Somerset Mall, shoppers can expect to find just about everything. Boasting more than 200 stores, from various high-end boutiques, all of South Africa’s major retailers, grocery stores, play stores, outdoor warehouses and DIY shops, furniture stores, arts and crafts shops, cafés, coffee shops, restaurants, a food court, and absolutely everything in between, you want it, Somerset Mall has it. They even have bowling and cinemas for the kids!
Thanks to its central location, Somerset Mall is easily reachable from suburban areas including Strand, Somerset West, and Stellenbosch.
**Note: Somerset Mall has over 4,000 outdoor parking bays and approximately 640 undercover parking spots. There are also several baby-changing rooms available on-site.
Cavendish Square
- Location: 1 Dreyer St, Claremont, Cape Town
Located in the heart of Claremont, the famous Cavendish Square is by far one of the best shopping malls in Cape Town. Cavendish Square is the ONLY shopping mall in Cape Town that’s home to 200 of the most upmarket and highly elite boutiques and stores – certainly making it a step above the rest.
In addition to its high-end status, this award-winning Cape Town shopping mall also boasts a wide selection of major retailers, shops, and stores selling everything from clothes, jewellery, home décor, and arts and crafts, to books, groceries, outdoor gardening products, electronics, and more. Cavendish Square undoubtedly has something for absolutely everyone. Not to mention its vast variety of incredible coffee shops, cool cafés, excellent eateries, and exceptional up-scale restaurants. It even has 2 Ster Kinekor cinema houses. What more could you possibly ask for?
**Note: Cavendish Square has an abundance of both above ground and underground parking on-site.
Greenmarket Square
- Location: Burg St &, Longmarket St, Cape Town City Centre, Cape Town
The iconic and widely beloved Greenmarket Square in the heart of Cape Town has fast become a fan-favourite shopping spot amongst both locals and tourists alike. Once you pay it a visit you’ll understand exactly why.
Built in the late 1600s, Greenmarket Square is a historical square that now hosts a number of quirky stalls offering some of the best South African curios and traditional African gifts and souvenirs. Walk through the colourful rows that boast an amazing abundance of handcrafted ornaments, musical instruments, handmade beaded jewellery, traditional African clothing and beautiful landscape paintings of Africa and walk away with some of the most exquisite pieces of African arts and crafts at great prices. Greenmarket Square is one Cape Town shopping spot that absolutely everyone should visit at least once in their lives.
Victoria Wharf Shopping Centre
- Location: 19 Dock Rd, Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, Cape Town
Set on the beautiful waterfront, along with a number of other stores, Victoria Wharf Shopping Centre is a collection of the finest brands, and the most luxurious, exceptional, and exclusive restaurants. It is a great place to shop the most superb brands, enjoy Cape Town’s Waterfront nightlife, and revel in the most unique, exciting, and pristine food and culinary experiences in Cape Town. Shopping in Cape Town for tourists will be incomplete without a visit totheVictoria Wharf Shopping Centre.
The V&A Waterfront Watershed
- Location: V&A Waterfront, 17 Dock Rd, Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, Cape Town
The iconic V&A Waterfront Watershed is by far one of the best shopping experiences in Cape Town. Located next to the V&A Waterfront, The Watershed is definitely not your traditional shopping centre or African market, its so much more than that. Boasting over 150 shops / stores showcasing and selling a vast array of locally designed goods, the famous Watershed is a space that offers arts and crafts from some of the very best high-end designers in Cape Town.
With over 100 traders who represent over 365 brands, this incredibly cool indoor shopping warehouse industrial space is filled with high-quality brands with a focus on ceramics, textiles, furniture, home decor, leather goods, arts, crafts, fashion, and jewellery. In addition, visitors and shoppers can also opt to visit the Watershed’s Jubilee Exhibition Hall, which hosts live entertainment, art exhibitions, and workshops.
The Old Biscuit Mill
- Location: 375 Albert Rd, Woodstock, Cape Town
The Old Biscuit Mill is a vibrant and innovative shopping centre located in the bustling streets of Woodstock. The Mill is a cool and captivating space where exceptionally talented and unbelievably creative individuals come together to showcase their unique designs and artwork.
The Old Biscuit Mill is also home to a popular farmer’s market, several pristine fine dining restaurants, a delicious chocolate factory, art galleries and more. Visitors to the Old Biscuit Mill can expect to enjoy plenty of shopping opportunities and experiences, as well as live music performances and musical events that take place from time to time.
Woodstock Exchange
- Location: Albert Rd, Woodstock, Cape Town
The Woodstock Exchange is a cool and trendy space for young creatives to come together and share their original designs and artwork. Located in the busy, bold, and colourful streets of Woodstock, The Woodstock Exchange is home to a variety of unique boutiques mixing fashion and accessories with interior home décor. This one-of-a-kind industrial space has a strong focus on innovation and creativity with stunning sculptures and beautiful, bold, and colourful murals all around the building.
The Woodstock Exchange also has a restaurant that offers delicious snacks and beverages that can be thoroughly enjoyed by everyone who pays this super unique and wildly creative space a visit. You definitely won’t regret it, trust us!
Tyger Valley Shopping Centre
- Location: Corner of Bill Bezuidenhout Ave, Willie Van Schoor Dr, Bellville Park, Cape Town
Boasting over 275 stores, some of which include a wide and incredible variety of retailers, lavish boutiques, book shops, design and décor stores, pharmacies and medical facilities, banks, amazing restaurants, cafés, and coffee shops, a Ster-Kinekor cinema complex, and so much more, Tyger Valley Shopping Centre is the largest shopping centre in the Northern Suburbs of Cape Town.
This Cape Town shopping mall is wildly popular among those living in the surrounding area and is ideal for shoppers who stay / live outside of the inner-city. In addition to a great shopping experience, the Tyger Valley Shopping Centre also has an amazing bowling arena, as well as pool tables, a cool games arcade, and train rides for the little ones (grownups are welcome to join too).
**Note: One of the major perks of Tyger Valley Shopping Centre is its excellent trading hours. This means you can go wild and shop till you drop (metaphorically of course).
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