Stores, Malls or Markets in Africa

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Do you need supplies for your Braai (Barbeque)? Shoprite is the consistently best place in Africa to get what you need. They even sell the firewood! I have shopped with these folks in ate least 6 countries. They are based in South Africa but have expanded through franchising. They are always the BEST grocery store wherever they are for not only Braai supplies, but for the best variety of goods. All the ones I went into offered fantastic pre-marinated steaks (Texas Steak – yum), prepared salads of all descriptions, fresh bread, even pots and plates. A good variety of fresh vegetables, cold beers and loads of snack foods. They staff are friendly and prices are good by local standards. You can get cheaper, but you cannot get better. If you need a big shop or specialist food item, this is the place.

They currently operate in: South Africa, Angola, Botswana, Ghana, India, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

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Katenta Etienne is his name. Authentic African Masks is his game. His shop is really just a storage lock-up in Bujumbura, but it is full of absolute cultural treasures. He is located in a somewhat hidden part of the main craft market, but you really want to find him. I was amazed at the variety of both the types of masks as well as the different tribes/countries they originate from. Etienne (Stephen in English) is a really positive guy who was more than willing to patiently explain the details of each mask. One of the most fascinating is a sewn mask from the Democratic Republic of the Congo he is pictured with in photos 2 & 3. This is a very elaborate hand-stitched chicken head. It is the most unique mask I have ever come across in my travels in Africa.

Etienne is a member of the A.A.V.O.A (Association Artistes et Vendeurs des Objets d’Art). I would suggest you save this tip to your ‘Custom Travel Guide’ here on VT which will allow you to print his details and photo if you wish to find him in the market. I highly recommend you look at authentic items before you see some of the mass-produced masks in the main market area. There are several other good ‘storage’ shops beside him, but they are a bit pushy.

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Your best "comfort food" is from Madagascar ! That is if you love chocolate, of course. Yes folks, this is the real thing!

From the website of its South-African distribution network
"... Chocolaterie Robert produces a number of NATURAL Cocoa and Chocolate products each sharing the heritage of the organically cultivated, naturally fermented, sun-dried Trinitario and Criollo cacao beans. The cacao is transformed without the use of additives or solvents. Naturally processed, additive free Robert chocolate is intended for the Chocophile or chocolate gourmet- or anyone who appreciates additive -free Natural chocolate. Robert Chocolate is intended for the adult palate..."

Chocolate from Madagascar, that is only produced by Chocolaterie Robert. Not known by the mass market ... but revered by chocolate craftsmen, patissiers and chocolate connoisseurs. Madagascar is not a quantity producer, rather a quality producer.. for a very specific reason: our cocoa beans have been for a very long time harvested in the wilds.

Hey Africa lovers! This is reported to be the rarest chocolate (if not the only) that is produced in Africa, with a recipe that is over 50-year-old, antique machinery & is a natural vintage chocolate (single source, single region).

Now, wild cocoa and plantation cocoa co-exist. Although I must admit I would not distinguish chocolate from wild cocoa from chocolate from plantation cocoa, I really appreciate chocolate here. I like it to taste chocolate and not sugar. Anyway, it is still organic, both in the growing & processing. It is a single-source chocolate, for all the cocoa "farmers" that supply Robert with cocoa being located in the same Northern region of the island.

Check the website below to know more about chocolate making and what makes Chocolat Robert a unique product.

Also there are addies of health-stores & natural food outlets, expert retailers that sell Robert chocolat in South-Africa (whenever you're in SA, a chocolate lover and want to taste this chocolate from Madagascar)

What to buy: My favourite is the plain dark 70% one: a tad bitter and strong enough in flavour to be interesting. To think, in Belgium, I rather have pralines and less chocolate. In Madagascar, you can go blindfolded with this dark one. It contains vanilla flavour (not vanilline.. come on! you're in the land of vanilla here! why would you use a ersatz if you can have the genuine essence ?). Vanilla makes it taste smoother... delicate.

Plus, sold at local pricing, it is ridiculously cheap. Madagascar is a country where natural, organic 70% chocolate slab is cheaper than any imported 5% cocoa mass item of similar format from, say, the UK. Even cheaper in Mom & pop stores, supermarkets.
Package: with Ravinala motives, Ravinala being the Traveller tree, emblema of Air Madagascar and more and more of Malagasy brands (picture 2).

Now, if you want to try what I consider "comfort food per excellence", for any Westerner, like those on picture 1, hit the Behoririka premium store or the "factory outlet" in Soanierana (both in Antananarivo). My favourite is the Vato (not shown on picture, crunchy rock-shaped piece with cashew nut crunches, orange peel, coconut bits). Used to love the mint-cream filled dark chocolate piece too. And this orange cream filled chocolate candy! Buy an assortment of many variations & you'll find your fave !

Anyway, too used to commercial, heavily sweetened, chemically-treated cocoa & vanillin chocolate? It is about time to discover a better "comfort food" that is better for the brain, the mood, the waistline...etc. lol You could even bring some home for the kids to discover the real thing !

Why each time I eat Robert chocolate I want to share this experience with you is something I don't understand... Well, I guess you may know why.

What to pay: Sorry I don't remember how much I bought my box... I bought it in a supermarket anyway.
The assortment of chocolate pieces (of the pralines types) was sold at av. 25000 Ar per kilo (price as of Nov. 2006 at their La Chocolatière premium store in Behoririka, Antananarivo). I was told it was even cheaper at their "factory outlet" in Soanierana, Antananarivo.
In SA, drop a visit to the 27 Jo'burg points-of-sale, 14 Pretorian addies, 3 Western Cape..etc.. to know about the price or why not giving them a phone call ? For more addies, check the below website.

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What to buy: Biltong is the South African equivalent of American Beef Jerky. Actually that is not true. Biltong is better! It is made from dried slices of meat from the many cute animals you will see in the Game Parks. They come in various shapes from a thin sausage looking variety to ‘chips’. Eland, Springbok, Kudu, and anything else that has 4 legs. This is a must for meat lovers. A really good Biltong shop will give you free samples so you decide. Mmmmmm.

The best Biltong in Africa can be bought at The Biltong Hut in Grasskop, South Africa:

THE BILTONG HUT

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Bought this Congolese mask in Nairobi in 1990 from the craft market in the middle of town. I ran out of patience haggling for it so I asked a mate of mine who loved bargaining to buy it for me on my behalf. Good idea as he had the patience to get it for a better price than would have got it for.

The other two masks I have bought from the craft village in Kampala. The Kuba mask was worn during wedding ceremonies.

The Chokwe mask with the natty dreads with banana seeds on the end was so I was told worn for a dance to celebrate the birth of twins.

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Nakumatt is a successful grocery store/department store operating in Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda – for now. They plan to keep expanding. They started in 1987 and operate mostly ‘hyper-markets’ with all of their stores carrying a range of at least 50,000 items. They even offer their own Visa credit card. They are mostly in the large cities of Nairobi, Mombassa, Kampala and Kigali. I shopped with them happily in Rwanda and the narrative below is from Kigali. Please check their website for other locations.

KIGALI LOCATION:

Nakumatt is the only 24-hour grocery store in Rwanda. Part of a large Kenya based chain, it offers just about everything. It’s actually a department store offering everything from stationery, appliances, electronics, bedding, camping equipment and household plastics. Did I mention it sells food? Oh, yes it does.

What to buy:
They have a German Butchery. Let’s start there. Cooked and raw German delights for any carnivore. Next to it is the fresh bakery. On the other side is the wine co-located with the cheese & dairy products. Too right. Aisles of spices, mixes, tinned items, snacks, cakes, vegetables, fruit and pasta. They do offer some expensive Kenyan cheeses alongside cheaper (but still great quality) Rwandan produce. There is another grocery store just 75 meters away with almost the same range, but it’s not 24 hours.

So if you have late-night cravings for food or some more cold beer – get down to Nakumatt!

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This is a souvenir shop beyond compare. Uganda Crafts 2000 is a massive souvenir shop that does the things virtually no other souvenir shop can do. They sell local crafts, made by hand, created by handicapped and disadvantaged artisans, have a huge variety and their prices are often cheaper than competitors selling ‘made in China’ items. In addition they pay fair wages to people who might otherwise be truly begging on the streets. Many of the people who make the goods actually create them on site. In fact you see the workshops before you can get to the entrance of the shop. I believe this to be the best souvenir shop in Africa. I enjoyed my visit and purchases so much, I went back the next day to visit again. I bought small woven decorations made by school children to buy supplies for their school. Many of the crafts have the pictures and stories of the makers displayed. You can see the very people you help and their prices are market competitive. They do sell expensive quality luxury goods as well as some of the small decorations I bought for pennies. For budget travellers this is a must. You can get light weight cheap gifts to take home. It all helps.

They are members of the International Fair Trade Association (IFAT) and their artisans are paid fair money for their productions. They also provide employment and training for the disadvantaged groups, particularly widows, children, the disabled and those living with HIV/AIDS.

Open 7 days a week from 8am-7pm

What to buy: Some of the fantastic crafts they sell are: Baskets, Christmas Decorations, Batiks (a great and inexpensive gift that weighs nothing!), Handbags, Jewellery, Masks, Leather Goods, Musical Instruments, Key Chains, Trays, Greeting Cards, and a lot more!

What to pay: Prices vary between 5 US Cents to hundreds of dollars for large furniture, jewellry and luxury goods.

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The art of ceramics and pottery is rooted in the local traditions of the Maghreb countries . Indeed, one used, since the antiquity, the terracotta tanks like the earthenware jars to store and preserve harvests of corn, lens, dates and olive oil. Oil lamps and small figurines based on clay are used in the ceremonies of marriages to carry happiness and move away bad spirits. These same articles found at the time of the excavations of the prehistoric coffins confirm the ancestral aspect of this art.