South Africa produces a lot of books given the size of its reading population: you'll find scores of good locally produced novels and endless volumes on history, politics and natural history. For new books there are some pleasant places in the suburbs or at the Waterfront to browse for half an hour, while Upper Long Street has over half a dozen secondhand book and specialist comic shops in close proximity, interspersed with congenial cafés.

Clarke's Bookshop 211 Long St tel 021 423 5739. The best place in Cape Town for South African books, with a huge selection of locally published titles covering literature, history, politics, natural history and the arts, plus very well-informed staff. They also deal in collectors' editions of South African books. Mon-Fri 8.45am-5pm, Sat 9am-1pm.

Exclusive Books Branches at Victoria Wharf, V&A Waterfront tel 021 419 0905, Mon-Fri 9am-10.30pm, Sat 9am-11pm, Sun 10am-9pm; Lower Mall, Cavendish Square, Claremont tel 021 674 3030, Mon-Thurs 9am-9pm, Fri & Sat 9am-10.30pm, Sun 9.30am-9pm; Constantia Village Shopping Centre, Spaanschemat River Road, Constantia tel 021 794 7800, Mon-Sat 9am-8pm, Sun 9am-5pm. A friendly bookshop, ideal for browsing; the well-stocked shelves include magazines and a wide choice of coffee-table books on Cape Town and South African topics.

Kirstenbosch Shop Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens tel 021 762 2510. An excellent selection of natural-history books, field guides and travel guides covering southern Africa, as well as a range of titles for kids. Daily 9am-7pm.

The Travellers Bookshop King's Warehouse, Victoria Wharf, V&A Waterfront tel 021 425 6880. Cape Town's only specialist travel bookshop stocks a good range of titles, mainly about South Africa and especially the Cape, covering history, politics, natural history and the arts as well as travel guides. Daily 9am-9pm.