South African shopping tends to follow an American rather than European model, with huge malls where you can browse in a bookshop as well as bank, buy clothes and groceries and go to the movies. They always have several coffee shops and restaurants.

Blue Route Mall Tokai Road, Tokai. A functional single-storey centre that's handy if you're staying in Constantia or along the False Bay, with branches of Pick'n'Pay and Woolworths. Mon-Fri 9am-5.30pm, Sat & Sun 9am-5pm.

Cavendish Square Vineyard Road, Claremont station, Claremont. An upmarket multistorey complex, the major shopping focus for the southern suburbs. Mon-Thurs 9am-6pm, Fri 9am-9pm, Sat 9am-6pm, Sun 10am-4pm.

Gardens Shopping Centre Mill Street, Gardens. Small shopping mall in the City Bowl, very close to the Company's Gardens and city centre, with a large supermarket, excellent deli and most of the shops you'll need. Mon-Fri 9am-6pm, Sat 9am-3pm; selected shops Sun 10am-2pm.

Golden Acre Adderley Street, Cape Town station. A dark and not entirely pleasant complex linked by a walkway to the station. Handy if you're about to catch a train, but otherwise best avoided. Mall 6am-midnight; most shops 8.30am-5pm.

V&A Waterfront It would be possible to visit Cape Town and never leave the Waterfront complex, which has a vast range of upmarket shops packed into the Victoria Wharf Shopping Centre, including outlets of all the major South African chains, selling books, clothes, food and crafts. Mon-Sat 9am-9pm, Sun 10am-9pm.