[2023 GUIDE] The Best Places to Go Shopping in Johannesburg

Shopping in Johannesburg is the perfect place to find unique and interesting items for every budget.

Johannesburg is renowned for its world-class shopping opportunities. There is something for everyone, no matter what you’re looking for. The city has everything from open-air markets full of local African arts and crafts to small shops in the local areas to magnificent shopping malls with designer fashion and jewelry. To make the most of your visit, set aside some time to explore the shopping experiences Johannesburg has to offer.

The Best Places to Go Shopping in Johannesburg

1. Market on Main Johannesburg

Market on Main is Johannesburg’s star food and design market, having only been on the go since 2011. Located in the Maboneng Precinct’s prestigious Art on Main complex, it is a hub for culinary experts, food lovers, ambitious chefs, and design buffs. Market on Main works to promote local economic development by supporting small businesses from the area.

The market offers a wide selection of food, from Ethiopian and Moroccan to Chinese, Italian, and Indian dishes. There is also a selection of traditional South African foods such as bunny chow, boerie rolls, and snoek on roosterbrood. Upstairs, the design section displays locally designed furniture, clothes, and crafts in the attic of a wonderfully atmospheric 1900s warehouse space. Visitors can browse the unique pieces and enjoy a coffee or cocktail.

The majority of the stalls are inside, while some of the eating areas are outside. If it rains, there is plenty happening inside to keep customers entertained.

2. Nelson Mandela Square

Nelson Mandela Square is a popular and fashionable shopping center in the heart of Sandton, just adjacent to Sandton City. It is a bustling hub often frequented by fashionistas sipping lattés, families out for a movie or theatre production, and tourists taking pictures with the giant Nelson Mandela statue.

The square is lined with trendy sidewalk cafes, exclusive restaurants, and high-end stores. The area also has several attractions, such as exceptional hotels and theatres. With all the different activities available, one could easily spend an entire day at this luxurious shopping center.

3. Cheese Gourmet

Cheese Gourmet in Linden, Johannesburg, is a paradise for cheese lovers. This small shop stocks an incredible selection of over 140 handmade boutique farm cheeses from South Africa, including goat cheeses. What makes Cheese Gourmet even more special is that you can sample all the cheeses before buying, so you can find the one that best suits your taste.

4. Cresta Shopping Centre 

Cresta Shopping Centre is the largest retail space in Randburg and offers a wide array of stores for shoppers. From everyday necessities to special treats, the mall has something for everyone. Home and décor, fashion, beauty and health, tech, and kids’ stores are all available. There is also the Crest Aquarium, which offers visitors the chance to learn more about ocean life and the effects of littering. 

The Food Court provides a variety of cuisines for those wanting a quick meal, as well as those preferring to sit down and enjoy their food. With such a wide selection of stores, the Food Court, and the Crest Aquarium, Cresta Shopping Centre has something for everyone.

5. Crafters Market

Crafters Market has been a staple of the arts and crafts community for over 15 years. Specializing in hand-crafted items and art supplies, Crafters Market is the perfect place to find all the materials you need to make your own masterpiece or purchase unique pieces to add a finishing touch to your home or to give as a special gift. 

Their selection of products includes paints, card making equipment, mosaic kits, and interior pieces such as cushions, vases, lamps, and garden decor. They also sell jewelry, tableware, wall art, and photo frames, ensuring that there is something for everyone as the displays constantly change.

Crafters Market offers budding artists the chance to become members and rent space to display and sell their work to the public. With all their stores in shopping malls, Crafters Market provides artists with a central, highly visited location to help enhance their artistic profiles.

6. Rosebank Mall

Rosebank Mall is situated in one of the trendiest business nodes in the country. It offers local shoppers and international guests a world-class shopping and entertainment experience. The four-story center has a variety of stylish stores ranging from fashion and accessory outlets to delightful gourmet dining venues and a Cinema Nouveau. 

The mall also features a rooftop Sunday Market and has a selection of anchor stores, such as Edgars, Clicks, Pick ‘n Pay, Dis-Chem, and Woolworths. Conveniently, there is plentiful parking space and easy access to the facility thanks to its proximity to the Gautrain on Oxford Road, which is only a one-minute walk away.

7. Oriental Plaza

The Oriental Plaza is the only shopping center in the country where each shopkeeper owns his shop. Located one kilometer west of the city center in Fordsburg, the Plaza opened in the mid-1970s as a direct outcome of apartheid’s grand separation schemes. Shopkeepers and their goods were relocated from nearby Vrededorp and Pageview and offered space at the Plaza, where they bought their new shops.

At The Plaza, customers can bargain with the shopkeeper to get the best price. Over 360 shop owners own the Oriental Plaza, giving them the freedom to offer prices 30 – 40% cheaper than elsewhere in Johannesburg.

The Plaza provides customers with a unique shopping experience; with a range of merchandise unequaled in the country, it may be the only stop they’ll need. The Plaza offers excellent security, parking facilities, a range of restaurants, an information desk, and official shoppers guide to every store.

8. Cradlestone Mall

Cradlestone Mall is an impressive architectural feat, situated conveniently on the corner of the N14 Highway and Hendrik Potgieter Road. It offers two main retail levels, a third food court, and over 4 000 parking bays. Its proximity to the world heritage site, The Cradle of Human Kind, adds to the appeal of Cradlestone Mall. Customers can enjoy a convenient and enjoyable shopping experience here.

9. Welwitschia Country Market

The Welwitschia Country Market at Damdoryn crossroads, a kilometer from the Hartbeespoort Dam wall, is one of the most unusual commercial developments in South Africa in recent years. This market was built under the shade of giant old trees, with 40 wooden shops and a covered area housing a wide range of merchandise. The brick paved streets of the village allow for pleasant meandering through the stalls and shops, with places to sit and enjoy the rustic atmosphere.

Not only catering to the tourist trade, but the market also offers local visitors a useful and refreshingly different place to do some shopping. Those looking for refreshments can enjoy a variety of light meals at excellent prices at The Upperdeck Restaurant, Pick a Pancake, or The Country Griller. The market also provides good parking and clean toilet facilities, a playground for children, and additional entertainment on Sundays and all public holidays.

10. Sandton City

Sandton City is a premier shopping destination for fashionistas and foodies alike. It is located in the Sandton suburb and boasts over 300 local and international retailers. It is renowned for its Afro-cosmopolitan glamour and distinctly South African flair. This mall truly has something for everyone, from high-end international brands to everyday leisure and entertainment. For this reason, people from across South Africa and the continent flock to Sandton City to get a taste of the best shopping has to offer.

11. Maponya Mall

Maponya Mall is Soweto’s vibrant and trendy heart, where fashion and style meet choice and function. It is the hub where people gather to shop, socialize, eat, and be seen. At the entrance is the Hector Pieterson statue, a gift from South Africa and Sweden to commemorate the historic Soweto riots. 

The mall offers a careful selection of food, entertainment, banking, and shopping. It has world-class stores such as Edgars, Pick ‘n Pay, Woolworths, and boutique businesses that offer professional services like optometry, bespoke fashion stores, and beauty salons. It also has some of South Africa’s favorite dining options, like News Café, Primi Piatti, and the Mugg & Bean.

Maponya Mall has a world-class design and attractive features, attracting around 1.5 million people monthly. It has a total area of 65 000m² and is a contemporary building, blending African culture with international sophistication.

12. Eastgate Shopping Mall

Eastgate Shopping Centre is situated in the suburb of Bedfordview, on a prime site on the major freeway between Johannesburg International Airport and Johannesburg city center. Easily accessible from the highway, Eastgate offers a unique family environment with regular promotions, competitions, and events. It is a superregional shopping center with 250 stores catering to all tastes and styles. Not only is it one of the few shopping centers that offer free parking, but it is also known as one of the premier shopping destinations in South Africa.

The range of stores is impressive, with department stores, top boutiques, specialty stores, a large Ster Kinekor cinema complex, and a host of restaurants. Furthermore, Eastgate is anchored by South Africa’s leading major retailers, including Checkers Hyper, Game, Edgars, Stuttafords & Woolworths. This makes it the ideal venue for the whole family, where everyone can find something to do.

13. African Craft Market

The African Craft Market in Rosebank offers an authentic African shopping experience for both local and international audiences. Located in the heart of Joburg’s tourism hub, the market is open seven days a week from 9 am to 6 pm on the corner of Cradock Avenue and Baker Streets. Visitors can experience the timeless tradition of bartering for the best price as they interact with traders from many African countries and uncover the culture, origin, and history of a host of African crafts.

The Market provides a wide selection of quality handcrafted gifts and souvenirs from every corner of Africa, including African masks, clothing, ceramics, exquisite jewelry, artifacts, antiques, magnificent wood and stone carvings, African chic décor, beads, and wire trinkets. Whether visitors are looking for souvenirs, investment pieces, ready-to-buy trinkets, or tailor-made items to be freighted, they can find it all at the African Craft Market. Credit card and professional freight packaging facilities are available on-site.

14. Neighbourgoods Market

The Neighbourgoods Market in Johannesburg is finally open! Located in the heart of the city precinct of Braamfontein, this market is part of our commitment to urban regeneration and the goal to revive and reinvent the Public Market as a civic institution.

Market-goers can expect the same high standards of quality and experience that have become the benchmark of the Cape Town market. Participating traders include &Union breweries, Origin artisan coffee roasters and Nigiro teas, Fine & Raw chocolates, Richard Bosman & The Charcuterie, Buffalo Ridge mozzarella & Lazanou organic vineyards. With these traders, customers can look forward to an exciting and varied shopping experience.

15. Northgate Mall

Northgate Shopping Centre is located in North Riding, Randburg, and is recognized as a regional shopping center. It is well-known for its size and position, as it caters to approximately 1.2 million shoppers each month. Northgate is a family-friendly mall offering a wide range of shopping, entertainment, and food choices. 

The Coca-Cola Dome is next to the shopping center, a major hub for entertainment, exhibitions, and concerts hub. 

The list of shops at Northgate is extensive and varied. It includes banks, beauty and health stores, department stores, entertainment, fashion and shoe stores, furniture, home care, interior design and fabrics, gift and flowers, jewelry and accessories, medical services, restaurants, take-away snacks and sweets, services, specialty goods, appliances, equipment and luggage, stationery, music, and hobbies.