Shopping

Johannesburg attracts people from all over the continent with one sole purpose: to shop till they drop. To that end, the city has more than 20 malls to choose from, but the best atmosphere by far is found in the suburb of Rosebank, which has plenty of outdoor areas to break the monotony of the various interlinked malls as well as a good selection of essentials such as travel agents and music, book, fashion, and craft shops . The rooftop at Rosebank Mall, which is open every Sunday and public holidays from 9:30am to 5pm, hosts the city's best market. If you're not here on Sunday, the worthwhile African Craft Market (tel. 011/880-2906; 9am-5pm winter, 9am-6pm summer), where you can shop for artifacts and artworks from across the continent, is open daily.

City Center & Surrounds

The Newtown Cultural Precinct has a small market that operates daily; most of what's on sale is cheap and looks it. Directly across the road from MuseuMAfricA is a new, modern and terribly anonymous development, 1 Central Place, home to the Gauteng Tourism Authority, and also where you'll find several dull shops with African crafts and artworks at fixed prices. More interesting (but perhaps a little overwhelming) city shopping areas include Diagonal Street -- a good place to pick up a Sotho blankets -- and the Mai Mai Bazaar under the M1. The latter sells mostly to the Zulu community; you're best off visiting here with a guide.

Less than 1km (just over 1/2-mile) from Newtown (follow Jeppe St. into Fordsburg) is the Oriental Plaza (tel. 011/838-6752), a shopping center where Johannesburg's shrewd Indian traders barter and cajole. Look for fabrics, cotton clothing, brassware, and, of course, spices. This is also a great place to sample samoosas, fried meat- or vegetable-filled pastry triangles.

Auckland Park

Milpark's 44 Stanley Avenue complex is great for browsing and delightfully free of crowds and hassle; and the lineup of antiques (Lucky Fish; tel. 011/726-8386), funky housewares, retro furniture, art, African toys, and even classic Royal Enfield motorbikes can keep you entertained for a few hours. You'll find whimsical and fantastic garments at Just (tel. 011/072-384-9969), showcasing the work of 30 local designers, and great gear in natural fabrics at Lunar (tel. 011/726-5558).

Parkhurst

This is another blissfully relaxed place to browse for everything from antiques to Afro-chic housewares; definitely visit amoeba, Shop 2, corner of 4th Avenue and 7th Street (tel. 011/447-5025; www.amoebaconcepts.co.za), for an eclectic range of stylish contemporary African art; look for covetable collectibles by Mark Splendid and Sarah Lovejoy. A few steps away is The African Toyshop, which showcases great gift ideas from 14 countries around the continent.

Rosebank

Fashion divas looking for distinctive "where-did-you-get-that?" designer items need to head for The Zone@Rosebank and browse The Space, lower level (tel. 011/327-3640); next door is Sun Goddess, a small boutique for real African goddesses. If you simply want a few smartish T-shirts emblazoned with retro-style South African icons (like Mandela) or examples of silly local humor, pop into nearby Big Blue, a clothes-shop-cum-novelty-store that's ideal for gifts. Upstairs at Stoned Cherrie, opposite Primi Piatti restaurant (tel. 011/447-9629), you'll find more of the best Afro-chic threads in town. Nearby, at Sowearto (tel. 011/447-7004; www.sowearto.co.za) you can browse through some innovative and funky Afro-chic garments and limited accessories from the studios of happening local designers; the range is funky while the store (now a small chain) branding is based on the eye-catching stripes on the packaging of Chappies bubble gum. Also upstairs at The Zone is MaGents (tel. 011/447-0996; www.magents.co.za), which you'll recognize by the adjacent advertising for Y-FM, the country's hippest black urban radio station, and it's where you'll find funky street wear as worn by Jozi's trendiest young hipsters. Right next door is Musica Megastore (tel. 011/788-9831), where staff can point you to the African music section; don't trust their suggestions, however, rather ask to listen to a few selections before swiping your credit card.

Greenside

If Rosebank's selection of stores hasn't satisfied your interest in local design labels, head over to nearby Greenside and peruse the racks in that Outfit shop (12 Gleneagles Rd.; tel. 011/646-2303), boasting a selection of up-and-coming Jo'burg designers; the ladies' range runs from formal to lively to faux-trashy. Seek out vintage-style corsets by Arwen Corsetry, adorable skirts and ladies' tops by Stephen Quatember, edgy ladies' wear by Miss Scarlet, and anything by an arty duo called Two. Men need not leave empty-handed: Ask to see the range of offerings by One Spirit (great cotton shirts), suits from R.I.P. Torn, and fab jackets with the Firethorn label.