Pretoria Shopping and Districts

(Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa)

Shopaholics are well catered for in Pretoria. Whether you're shopping for something to wear or are looking for a traditional African handcrafted item to take back home, there's something for everyone, whatever the budget.

Like most large South African cities, Pretoria boasts a mix of small independent stores, shops and street markets, all of which sell specialist items. There are also plenty of chic shopping centres dotted around Pretoria, where you can buy everything under one roof.

When to Shop and Opening Hours

Shops tend to open from 08:30 or 9:00 to 17:00 during the week. At the weekend, smaller shops open during the morning, until 13:30. However, the larger shopping centres stay open longer, usually until 18:00 during the week and on Saturday, and until 15:00 on Sunday.

Opening hours for flea markets tend to vary. The Hatfield Market opens from 09:00 to 17:00 on Sundays. Smaller markets may, however, only open during the morning.

Where to Shop

Popular shopping centres in the centre of Pretoria include De Bruyn Park, the Standard Bank Centre and the Sanlam Centre. Brooklyn Square is a relatively compact shopping centre that is home to some top brands in the fashion world.

There are also some great shops and shopping centres in Pretoria's suburbs. These are particularly useful if you're staying out of town. The Menlyn Shopping Mall in Menlo Park is reputed to be one of the biggest in South Africa, with a huge number of shops, as well as restaurants, cinemas and cafes. Centurion City is also popular. The Kolonnade in the north of Pretoria has some 150 shops, as well as an Olympic-size ice rink. Shopping centres like these aren't just home to the better-known chain stores. Most of them also have shops that sell specialist items, such as locally handcrafted items. They make great souvenirs of your stay in Pretoria.

It's worth also exploring Pretoria's various markets, not just to search for that elusive special 'something', but also to experience at first hand what the city is all about. The Hatfield Flea Market, for example, is a great place to go to shopping for clothing, decorative African craftwork or food. With over 200 stalls, it rates as the trendiest market in Pretoria. There is also a flea market held on the square in front of Pretoria's State Theatre each Saturday. The Sunny Park market is held on Sundays throughout the day, and sells paintings and sculptures, amongst other things.