CITY GUIDE:

For those visiting South African shores, shopping in Cape Town is an absolute joy. While Cape Town’s many malls contain all the usual high street chain stores, you’ll find a host of one-off originals tucked away in some the following hip shopping areas:

De Waterkant lies a mere five minutes from the city centre and has become one of the city’s trendier suburbs. Home to a number of interesting décor and design stores as well as fashion boutiques and cafés, this buzzing area is a good place to stop for quality contemporary African craft (Africa Nova, Cape Quarter, 72 Waterkant Street 021 425 5123) www.africanova.co.za, exotic artefacts (Out of this World, Cape Quarter, 72 Waterkant Street 021 421 3507) www.capequarter.co.za and beautiful hand tooled leather items (Living Leather, Jarvis House, Jarvis Street, 021 421 3507).

At the nearby Portside Centre in Green Point, an ever changing selection of contemporary ceramics and quirky home-ware items can be found at Wallflower (Portside Centre, Main Road, Green Point, 021 434 8265) while cutting edge fashion designers Malcolm Klûk and Christiaan Gabriel du Toit hold court at their glamorous boutique Klûk & CGDT, www.kluk.co.za (Portside Centre, Main Road, Green Point 083 377 7780).

Long Street is a hub of activity and action. Bars and restaurants are busy from early till late, while the impressive selection of varied shopping opportunities will keep visitors well occupied.

Try the Church Street Market and The Long Street Antique Arcade (127 Long Street 021 423 3585) for vintage hidden gems – from jewellery and watches, to tableware and decorative objects. Contemporary fashions can be found at MeMeMe (117 Corner Church and Long Streets 021 424 0001), where artist and designer Doreen Southwood and her fellow fashionistas create a stir with their deconstructed-chic style.

Imagenius (117 Long Street 021 423 7870) www.imagenius.co.za is just across the way and is a haven of cool paraphernalia – from contemporary jewellery to stationery, beauty products and the ultimate baby must-have – a babygro with ‘Imagenius’
printed on it.

Further out of town lies The Old Biscuit Mill (373-375 Albert Road, Woodstock). A hub of activity on a Saturday with its all day food, organic produce and contemporary art and design market, The Old Biscuit Mill, www.theoldbiscuitmill.co.za, has cast aside its biscuit factory persona and is now a mecca for of design talent. From wallpaper produced from images shot by Lomo photographer Robin Sprong at his Exposure Gallery (021 447 4124) to exquisitely detailed, couture lampshades by Wilja Reitz at Decadence Couture (082 859 1250), ceramics and vessels by local legend Andile Dyalvane (073 505 7147) at his studio space and extraordinary displays of beads to buy and string yourself at home from Bead Boys (021 448 4499), the Old Biscuit Mill offers delicious eye candy at every turn.