Gaborone is a thriving city full of energy and verve. Whether it’s tourists or locals, hovering around for some purchases in the Botswanian capital will satisfy the most avid shoppers with its wide and varied venues. There are substantial malls with ample amounts of stores inside, but also speciality stores that could stock the more unique selection that more discerning customers would want.

Things to Remember

As is the case for any foreign country, some things operate quite differently. When looking for the best hotels in Botswana, it’s important to keep these things in mind as you go about your business and pleasure. In this case, the shopping hours! On weekdays, most shops operate from 9 AM to 6 PM, while on Saturdays it goes from 9 AM to 3 PM, and the shortest times so far on Sundays at 9 AM to 1 PM.

The Airport Junction Mall

With around 100 stores and over 2000 parking spaces, this titan of commerce is strategically located – around 7km from the airport of its namesake, and another 7km from the central district that holds locations such as the Avani Gaborone Resort & Casino. This makes shopping for tourists much easier, allowing easy access to many shops relatively easily, complete with family-friendly restaurants and even themed hallmark events for Christmas and the like.

Gabane Pottery

Switching gears to a more craft-related entry, the Gabane Pottery is great for those looking at a more bespoke, curated sort of purchase. As Gaborone is a city known for its pottery and crafts, why not indulge in a local speciality? The owner of this establishment may even give pottery lessons, along with a slight history of the pottery trade in Botswana.

Image via Wikimedia Commons

Main Mall

One can’t visit Gaborone without taking in some history! Lauded as one of the oldest malls in Africa, the Main Mall was built in 1963 and is surrounded by the metropolitan buildings of the government, parliament, and the city council. Representative of the earliest developmental history of Botswana’s capital, people still visit to take in its commerce and architecture, a standing monument to ages past.

Riverwalk Mall

Home to Western-styled malls with a somewhat traditional supermarket-restaurant-bar design, the Riverwalk mall is safe and clean and is usually treated as a great rest stop before moving on to South Africa via the border. It’s now considered an integral part of modern retail in Gaborone and hosts several local and international patrons of business within its walls.