Department stores and shopping centers in Cape Town
South Africa has enough malls for a city twice its size. Below are the largest, most frequented shopping centers, as well as the biggest department store chains:
Shopping Centers
The Victoria & Alfred Waterfront
Perhaps the height of shopping in Cape Town, the Waterfront’s network of outdoor, restaurants, shopping malls and craft sheds is wrapped around Cape Town’s historic harbor, where seals swim beside the barnacle encrusted hulls of aged fishing vessels and pleasure boats.
Aside from supermarkets and department stores (including branches of Clicks, Woolworths, Game, Pick ‘n’ Pay and Edgars) the mall features some of the most exclusive clothing and fashion-item stores, from Tag Heuer to Louis Vuitton. It’s also got some of the biggest book stores in the city, with large branches of Exclusive Books and Woolworths, along with a variety of toy stores, pharmacies and beauty stores.
Call 021 408 7600
Follow this link for directions: http://www.waterfront.co.za/play/Pages/Directions.aspx
Open Hours: 09:00-21:00, Monday to Sunday, and on Public Holidays. The V&A Craft Market is open from 09:30 till 18:00.
Cavendish Square
With over two hundred stores encompassing some of the most elite brands around, along with 20 restaurants, 2 cinemas (with 16 screens between them) and a gamut of coffee shops and fast food joints, Cavendish has a lot to offer the discriminating shopper. It’s also the way to go for those on a budget – there’s a Woolworths, a DisChem (of the chain of huge, discount pharmacies) and a Clicks store. Because of its proximity to the local club scene (just a block away), it becomes a bit of a teenage haunt on weekends.
Call 021 657 5620 or visit http://www.cavendish.co.za (use the store finder).
Open Hours: 09:00-19:00, Monday to Saturday and on Public Holidays, 10:00-17:00 on Sundays
Canal Walk
Canal Walk is the largest shopping centre in Cape Town, and with over 400 specialty stores, is the place to find just about anything, from fashion items to sportswear, electronics to groceries. It’s got an enormous branch of Nu Metro, with 20 screens playing all the latest blockbusters alongside Bollywood movies and other foreign films. It also has branches of just about every department store, among them Woolworths, Pick ‘n’ Pay, Game, and DisChem. Aside from Exclusive Books, there are also several alternative and discount bookstores, among them Paperweight, Bargain Books and CUM books (the Christian book store). You may notice Ratanga Junction, the country’s biggest amusement park, right next door. Ratanga used to be open round the clock, but was shut down due to financial problems, and now opens only on school holidays and for special events. It’s well worth the visit if you get the chance – visit http://www.ratanga.co.za for details of their next open period.
Call 021 555 4444 or visit http://www.canalwalk.co.za (use the store finder)
Open Hours: 9am-9pm, Monday to Sunday (extended shopping hours during the festive season)
Gardens Centre
An upmarket shopping center conveniently located for CBD residents, Gardens Shopping Centre houses 87 stores, with an excellent array of boutique shops, including Raith’s Gourmet, the only authentic German Deli in Cape Town. It has a well-stocked health store (Health 4 Life), a chocolateur, a tobacconist and a bookstore, branches of Woolworths, Pick ‘n’ Pay and Clicks, as well as branches of Standard Bank and Nedbank. It also has a medical wing for specialists in various disciplines.
Call 021 4651842 or visit http://www.gardensshoppingcentre.co.za/ (use the store finder).
Open Hours: 9:00-19:00, Monday to Friday, 09:00-17:00 on Saturdays, 09:00-14:00 on Sundays and Public Holidays
Constantia Village
Down the street from some of the country’s most esteemed winelands, you’ll find a quaint little mall that features over 80 shops selling books, jewelry, clothing, music, art, computers, flowers, food and all other manner of merchandise. Constantia Village has both a Woolworths and a Pick ‘n’ Pay, making it a one-stop for just about any grocery or convenience item you might need, along with a plethora of excellent coffee shops and restaurants.
Call 021 794 5065 or visit (use the store finder).
Open Hours: 09:00-18:00, Monday to Friday, 09:00-17:00 on Saturdays, and 09:00-13:00 on Sunday.
Blue Route Mall
Situated at the gateway to the Constantia Wineroute, Tokai’s Blue Route Mall has over 100 stores, numerous restaurants and a Ster Kinekor cinema. It also houses numerous department stores, including branches of Ackermans, Checkers Hyper, Edgars, Jet, Mr Price and Woolworths. Unlike most malls in the Western Cape, Blue Route offers plentiful, secure parking for free.
Call 021 713 2360 or visit http://www.blueroute.co.za and search under ‘tenants’ to locate stores.
Open Hours: 09:00-17:30, Monday to Thursday, 09:00-18:00 on Fridays, 09:00-17:00 on Saturday and 10:00-14:00 on Sundays.
Popular Department Stores
Clicks
These stores specialize in the sale of health and beauty essentials, home electronics and photographic equipment, pharmaceuticals and non-perishable foods. Clicks pharmacies, housed within most of their department stores, are the largest drug store chain in the country, with over 170 branches.
Call the customer care line on 0860 254 257 or visit http://www.clicks.co.za
Use the store locator at http://www.clicks.co.za/clicks/StoreLocator.aspx to find your nearest branch.
Hours vary with the area or mall in which the stores are located.
Game
A division of Massmart, Game has 84 Stores in South Africa, and 7 in Cape Town. It’s an all-purpose department store that stocks everything from electronics, music and toys to furniture, clothes, non-perishable foods and exercise equipment.
Visit http://www.game.co.za and use the store locator to find the contact details of your nearest Game (as the chain doesn’t have a general customer care line).
Makro
Makro is a massive department store that stocks everything from liquor and home entertainment systems to luggage and clothing. There’s only one branch in Cape Town, located in Milnerton, about 15 minutes from the CBD.
Visit http://www.makro.co.za/ or call 0860 300 999.
Discom
This is a health, beauty and home store with 159 branches in the country. It targets products primarily at African women.
Call 0800 203 925 or visit http://www.discom.co.za and use the store locator (at the bottom of the page).
