The aptly-named mall is a great access point for anyone wanting to explore Little Addis. Inside the mall, the majority of stores are Ethiopian, selling anything and everything from music, coffee and spices to traditional wedding dresses. The mall is best accessed from Jeppe Street, but can also be entered from Bree.  The mall is close to Von Weilig as a cross street. Look out for the large white and red sign reading Joburg Mall. On the top floor, we recommend Cafe Addis as a great spot for traditional Ethiopian food. Give a warm greeting to our main man Kassa who is one of the owners. He’s a great man and knows the area really well.

What probably started with a couple of dudes selling some crafts at the traffic light, soon became a full-on craft market that’s spilled across the extended traffic island. The intersection itself is really busy, and recently made pretty through Johannesburg’s City Parks road pavement initiatives (the giant Greek-style ‘plant pots’ are slightly dubious but the effort hasn’t gone unnoticed). The space is big enough to hold a massive amount of stuff for sale, so we thought we best include these massive wrought iron giraffes that will one find a home in some wealthy family’s back garden.

The stuff is different to the normal African craft market display, because the space allows larger more practical household objects, and much larger sculptures. Some are truly amazing, and such a testament to African craftsmanship.

Find it where Main Street and William Nicol meet in Bryanston.

Its something I expect started as a little tourist curio endeavor, which quickly expanded into an institution in the city. Expect these stalls to be going every day of the week. If anyone reading this knows the neighborhoods of Brooklyn, you’ll take great pride in knowing that Newtown is the Williamsburg of Johannesburg. There’s a bohemian-ness that cant be found elsewhere. These market’s are more authentic than those found in Rosebank, for the simple fact that this is where the city’s own cool kids and fashion conscious folk come to get their proudly South African accessories and necessary fashion items.

Expect to see lots of Rastafarians waltzing about, and if coming on a Saturday, tie the event with all the other great spots in the area, that are all within walking distance. check out the Imbali Store inside Museum Africa. Mary Fitzgerald Square hosts a second hand market on saturday mornings, and Niki’s Oasis across the street, will solve any hunger or thirst problems you might incur during your adventure.

The market runs from 9am till 2pm. It might just be the fanciest of markets in the city, so don’t go expecting the “flea market” vibe. All the stuff is great quality food, that will not go unnoticed that night at the dinner party.

In any “normal” city, the development of Melrose Arch might have been on any random city square. The streets would belong to the people, and they would pass through as they please. But since Johannesburg isn’t that normal, we have to understand the interesting context in which Melrose Arch sits. It all private property, so the interlinking roads are not public property. Its effectively a little self enclosed little city block. But, most importantly, its not trying to look like a tuscan village, so that redeems itself almost completely. It keeps expanding, so the formula is working. My little dream is that it one day lets exterior guards down and emerges more as a party of the city, as opposed a little city within a city. Check out the Mediterranean Market on saturdays.

Inside the development are some quality restaurants and bars that deserve to be taken seriously.

The Rosebank Rooftop Market has been a stable injection of coolness in Johannesburg for as long as I can remember. Its great that its almost a reliable institution by now. Get anything from fancy jewelery to old books. A store worth a mention is one selling vintage block mounts of films and iconic images. You’ll find it…don’t worry. Enjoy some great take away style food, or have the experience be best matched with a meal somewhere in the Rosebank area.

Basic method of getting there is to head for The Mall of Rosebank within the Rosebank shopping district. And head to the top level’s of the mall’s parking lot, and you’re golden!

Only done on Sundays until mid afternoon. But best hit in the morning.