St Georges Mall, Cape Town

Once a congested city street, St George’s Mall is now a pedestrian area in the middle of the Cape Town city centre, bustling with activity that ranges from live entertainment - provided by buskers, dancers, drummers, street artists and the like - to the sidewalk coffee shops and restaurants at which many locals and visitors to the city sit and watch people pass by.

St Georges Mall is also a wonderful place to shop, with a combination of stalls, informal traders, art galleries and African curio shops providing any number of goods or souvenirs. Also known as Cape Town’s jewellery route, there are a number of jewellers based in St George’s Street Mall, which stretches from Thibault Square near the station, up to St George’s Cathedral, one of the only cathedrals to open its doors to all during the apartheid era.

At lunch time this part of the city is exhilarating. It’s policed by a series of security guards on horseback, and though it’s best to watch your wallet and keep your wits about you, a safe place to soak up the vibe of Cape Town. You’re within walking distance of the station, 10 minutes from the Conference Centre and close enough to public transport that getting quickly to other parts of town isn’t a problem.

Adderley Street, the next street north west, runs parallel to St George’s Mall. It starts at the Foreshore and ends in Government Avenue, an oak-tree lined street, running along the boundary of the Company Gardens. There is a flea market on the Adderley Street side of the Railway Station, although most of the stall holders are from North Africa, and you can buy a whole spectrum of goods here, including food.

The Good Hope Centre stands on the corner of Strand and Adderley streets, and it is here that underground buildings and building canals were discovered when excavating the site for the large glass office block. This intersection has been excavated and underground malls full of shops make for some interesting shopping - these are the main malls of the city centre and stretch along the area from the station to St George’s Mall. Adderley Street is lit every Christmas with street lights and it is also the site of the popular Street Night Market over Christmas with an array of stalls and some great entertainment.