Thrifting in Cape Town, mapped

Cape Town CBD · City Bowl

Central branch of the U-turn chain. Racks of affordable clothing and homeware, sorted by category and restocked constantly because donations come in daily.

Bo-Kaap · City Bowl

Bo-Kaap thrift shop with a strong eye for colour. Bold shirts, denim and jackets at prices that still feel like thrifting rather than vintage retail.

Cape Town CBD · City Bowl

Vintage boutique tucked inside the Antiques Arcade on Long Street. Carefully curated pieces at the premium end of the Cape Town vintage market.

District Six · City Bowl

Harrington Street consignment shop for pre-loved designer labels — Gucci, Fendi and Louis Vuitton among them. Playful space, serious inventory.

District Six · City Bowl

Consignment store for men and women, plus homeware. A verified seller in the vintage clothing collective and a long-standing CBD stop.

District Six · City Bowl

Curated retro dresses, jackets and accessories on Canterbury Street. Funds go to South African literacy programmes.

Gardens · City Bowl

Compact charity shop on Burg Street, a few minutes from the Company’s Garden. Good for books and kitchenware.

Cape Town CBD · City Bowl

Small, densely packed charity shop in the middle of the Long Street strip. Best for rummaging rather than browsing.

Cape Town CBD · City Bowl

Bree Street pre-loved clothing and accessories. Part of the CBD’s cluster of vintage and consignment shops within walking distance of each other.

Vredehoek · City Bowl

Runs out of Nazareth House in Vredehoek. One of the cheapest charity shops in the city, and a genuine community fixture.

Sea Point · Atlantic Seaboard

Long-running Sea Point charity shop on Main Road. Two floors of clothing, books and furniture funding rural education.

Hout Bay · Atlantic Seaboard

Second shop of the Chic Mamas charity, which resells quality pre-loved clothing to fund early-childhood education. Runs regular Swap4Charity swap days.

Woodstock · Woodstock & Salt River

Weekend market with a rotating set of vintage, second-hand and handmade stalls alongside the food. More curated than a flea market, and busier.

Observatory · Observatory & Mowbray

Observatory institution since 2014. Dense racks of retro clothing, band tees, hats and festival wear. New stock daily and older stock marked down.

Observatory · Observatory & Mowbray

Vintage jackets, retro pieces and brand names at thrift prices. Open every day of the week, which is unusual for the strip.

Observatory · Observatory & Mowbray

Alternative and festival-leaning vintage on Lower Main Road. Bold looks, y2k and 90s pieces, plus the regular Bang Bang vintage market.

Observatory · Observatory & Mowbray

Pre-loved fashion collective in the heart of the Observatory strip. Curated rails with a deliberate slow-fashion slant and swap events.

Observatory · Observatory & Mowbray

Second-hand bookshop on Lower Main Road. Worth a stop between clothing shops if you are doing the Observatory strip properly.

Observatory · Observatory & Mowbray

Retro vintage clothing and locally crafted goods, leaning hard into 70s styling. One of the more styled shops on the Lower Main Road run.

Observatory · Observatory & Mowbray

Vintage and fashion collective towards the Salt River end of Lower Main Road. Tuesday to Saturday only.

Observatory · Observatory & Mowbray

Neighbourhood second-hand shop in Observatory. Mixed stock — clothing, household goods and the occasional piece of furniture.

Observatory · Observatory & Mowbray

Recurring Observatory thrift market pulling together independent sellers, vintage rails and handmade stalls. Dates are announced on Instagram rather than fixed.

Mowbray · Observatory & Mowbray

Second Help the Rural Child branch, on Victoria Road opposite the Mowbray shops. Strong on books and bric-a-brac.

Claremont · Southern Suburbs

Claremont vintage shop trading since 1971. Clothing, accessories and jewellery with a curated, characterful feel rather than pure bargain hunting.

Claremont · Southern Suburbs

Claremont branch of the Oasis Association. Broad stock — clothing, books, décor and kitchenware — and a strong volunteer community behind it.

Claremont · Southern Suburbs

Lansdowne Road branch of U-turn. Standard charity-shop mix, well organised, with proceeds funding the organisation’s rehabilitation programme.

Wynberg · Southern Suburbs

The original Chic Mamas shop on Constantia Main Road. Quality pre-loved clothing sold to fund education projects, plus regular swap days.

Kenilworth · Southern Suburbs

Hospice charity shop on the Kenilworth Main Road strip. Furniture and homeware as well as clothing, and a steady turnover of donations.

Fish Hoek · South Peninsula

Oasis branch in Fish Hoek, and a local favourite. Clothing, shoes, books, décor and kitchenware with stock that changes every week.

Fish Hoek · South Peninsula

Corner shop in Fish Hoek raising money for TEARS Animal Rescue. Clothing, books and homeware, with the animal-rescue crowd behind the till.

Fish Hoek · South Peninsula

Fish Hoek second-hand clothing boutique run by Anthea. Relaxed, well-kept stock and a strong local following.

Simon’s Town · South Peninsula

Cosy Simon’s Town thrift shop with carefully chosen pre-loved clothing and vintage pieces. A good reason to walk the historical mile.

Kommetjie · South Peninsula

Kommetjie pre-loved shop on the main road through the village. Open seven days, which makes it a useful stop on a peninsula drive.

Kalk Bay · South Peninsula

Cluster of antique, vintage and collectables dealers along Kalk Bay’s Main Road. Better for ceramics, glass and small furniture than for clothing.

Simon’s Town · South Peninsula

Consignment and curated second-hand in Simon’s Town. Small, selective, and stronger on quality than on volume.

Grassy Park · Cape Flats

Charity shop attached to the SPCA Grassy Park operation. Proceeds fund the animal welfare work; stock is a broad household mix.

Mitchells Plain · Cape Flats

Second-hand chain trading in electronics, tools, musical instruments and appliances. Also buys and pawns, so stock moves quickly.

Bellville · Northern Suburbs

U-turn’s bulk warehouse in Boulevard Park. Bigger and rougher than the suburban branches — this is where to go for furniture and volume.

Goodwood · Northern Suburbs

Branch inside the N1 City Value Centre. New and second-hand goods, plus the usual buy-back and pawn counters.

Bellville · Northern Suburbs

Voortrekker Road branch, one of several Cash Crusaders stores serving the northern suburbs.

Milnerton · Northern Suburbs

Long-running weekend flea market on the Marine Drive side of Milnerton. Tools, bric-a-brac, books and second-hand everything, with parking on site.