Namibia Shopping and Districts

(Namibia, NA, Southern Africa)

When it comes to shopping in Namibia, the capital city of Windhoek reigns supreme in terms of choice and quality of goods on offer, with a variety of rather fashionable shops selling traditional jewellery here. Local crafted goods are also available throughout the city. Outside of Windhoek, there are still plenty of shopping opportunities, particularly for handcrafted items and curios.

Shop opening hours tend to be dependent on the type of shop. In Windhoek, for example, independent shops tend to open from around 09:00 in the morning to 17:00 in the afternoons, during the week, and then from 09:00 to 13:00 on Saturdays. Smaller stores may close at lunchtime.


Some 'general' stores operate much longer hours. It is best not to leave shopping until Sundays when most shops are closed. The exception are shopping centres and large supermarkets, which are usually open seven days a week.

Opening hours run from around 08:00 to 17:00, with more limited opening hours on Sundays. If you need to visit a bank before you head off to the shops, it is worth remembering that banks are open during the week from 09:00 to 15:30 and on Saturday mornings from 09:00 to 11:00.

Where to Shop

Windhoek offers lots of opportunities for visitors to shop for everyday goods or souvenirs. In the city centre, the Town Square shopping centre is a good place to start.

Around the Town Square there's also a pedestrianised area that is home to a variety of independent shops. Other central shopping centres include the Post Street pedestrian mall, which has a good choice of craft items for sale.

Namibia has a thriving gemstone industry, and so a trip to the House of Gems on Werner List Street in Windhoek is a fine place to head if you have a mind to acquire a locally mined gemstone for yourself. If you are looking for leather goods and other souvenirs, such as handmade baskets and wood carvings, these can be found on and around Independence Avenue. Outside the city centre, the Maerua Mall is a modern shopping centre with leisure facilities and ample car parking. Also on the outskirts of the city, Klein Windhoek is home to an arts and crafts shopping centre, being a good place to look for gifts to take back home.

Swakopmund also has a lively city centre, with shops, a craft centre and markets selling arts and crafts, jewellery, furniture, African carpets and safari-related items. More practical goods can be purchased at one of the town's supermarkets, such as Shoprite.