Diamond Works is one of the largest jewelry factories and stores in Cape Town. South Africa is a major diamond exporter, making it a perfect shopping destination for this precious stone. Here at Diamond Works you can see how diamonds are cut and assembled. You can then purchase high-quality finished products from the factory's shop.

If you want to do some up market shopping while you are on holiday, you should go to Adderley Street, which is the main street in Cape Town’s downtown district.

The street runs from Heerengracht to the entrance of Company Gardens, after which it becomes Government Avenue. It was named after the British Member of Parliament, Charles Bowyer Adderley, who fought against the British Government’s plans to turn the Cape are into a penal colony like Australia.

The street is full of shops, restaurants and offices. At night markets flourish and during the day a permanent market in the square in front of Central Station sells leather goods and curios. You will also find the famous Flower Market where freshly cut flowers have been sold on this spot for over 100 years.

Along the street there is the entrance to the Golden Acre, which is the oldest shopping centre in South Africa. Another building of note is the Groote Kerk on Church Square. At the end of the street you will discover the Slave Lodge Museum.

In front of the museum’s entrance is a statue of Jan Smuts, who was a member of the British War Cabinet and who helped create the Royal Air Force. From 1919 to 1924 and from 1939 to 1948 he was the Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa.

If you want to get in touch with Cape Town’s day-and-night life, then Long Street in the City Bowl district is the place for you.

During the nineteen sixties and early seventies this was the place to be if you had a bohemian out-look and if you were anti-apartheid. This area was the San Francisco of South Africa.

Little has changed over the years, except for the political point of view. But we are not here for politics! This is one of the oldest streets in Cape Town and it is still surrounded by beautiful Victorian buildings that have balconies enclosed by ornate wrought iron grills.

During the day bookshops, stands selling souvenirs and antique shops are happy to welcome visitors, but Long Street comes alive as soon as the sun sets.

If you have been longing to taste an ostrich steak or prawns from Mozambique, you can get both here in one of the many restaurants that serve African food. If you want to eat a curry, don’t worry! On Long Street you will find the spiciest Indian food that you have ever tasted.

If you want to dine and dance, several bar/restaurants offer a tasty meal and then put on a variety of music from local ethnic to heavy metal. If you want a calm night out, some bars feature poetry reading sessions with alcohol-free cocktails afterwards.

One of the best places to visit in Cape Town is undoubtedly the Pan African Market which is lodged in a superb building in Long Street.

In 1997 five traders took over an abandoned building on Long Street and set up a market on the first floor. At first the town council decided to chase them out, but seeing that locals and tourists alike flocked to the area, they granted a long term lease on the building and renovated it so that the market could grow.

Today, the market that you can visit holds over 35 stalls, with permanent shops on the second and third floors. These shops and stalls represent goods from over 14 African countries including Kenya, Senegal, Mozambique and Cameroon.

This fabulous market offers a wide range of arts and crafts and bartering is the name of the day! Don’t look at the few price tags – if you want to buy a tribal mask or some authentic bead jewellery – the more you haggle with the stall holder, the happier he’ll be to lower the price!

There are tailors who will run up a tribal costume in an hour, so while you are waiting you will have the time to browse through stands selling tribal drums or visit the numerous “witch doctors” where you can buy natural remedies for everything from in-growing toenails to hair loss!

No trip to Cape Town would be complete without a visit to Greenmarket Square, which is one of the most popular venues in the city.

The square has been used since the 18th century; situated in the heart of the business district of the city, it first served as a slave market, then as a cattle market, and has always been an principal meeting place for merchants.

Today, it is one of the most important flea markets in South Africa. You will find anything and everything here: from European clothes to tribal costumes; from goat-skin drums to plastic vuvuzela; from silver and gold jewellery to custom-made bead bracelets.

There are a lot of restaurants and outdoor cafés where you can enjoy a meal or a drink while watching the performance of the square’s many buskers, mime-artists, jugglers and magicians.

The square is surrounded by some of the most beautiful buildings that you will find in the Cape area: The Old Town House which houses the Michaelis Collection of 17th century Dutch and Flemish paintings; a Victorian Gothic church and the Inn on the Square, a hotel/restaurant/bar, which is the last of the 19th century townhouses still standing in the cape Town area.

Imagenius is located right in the heart of the city, making it very accessible and hard to miss on your Cape Town shopping spree. This store provides three floors of goods for your shopping pleasure. Here you will find African-designed jewelery, paintings, ceramics, home-wear and much more.

Shine Shine presents itself as a chic African fashion shop. You will be pleasantly surprised by the multitude of colorful fabrics available. It is an ideal spot for finding some unique African bargains. Also be sure to check out the store's impressive selection of bags.