Shopping in any African country can be a real challenge for a tourist who desires to get home
with souvenirs. Apart from the many buyers, you’ll meet in the market, navigating some can be
quite a dainty task. Having knowledge of how to navigate the market is one of the skills that you
can learn if you want to hack being there and going home with plenty of souvenirs.
The first tip is that regardless of any country you land in Africa, always travel with a local
especially if you are new in a country. It really helps if you walk with a tour guide, or make
friends with someone who understands the price as well as the route and the places with the
best bargains. I say walk with a guide because in countries like Morocco, souks are traditionally
split into diverse sections and each of them deals with specific products. I have toured the Souk
El Had which is the biggest souk (market) in Morocco’s city of Agadir and in Africa too and
others in Marrakech, Essaouira, and Casablanca and they are all the same when it comes to
how they are structured.
This too will apply in Kenya in areas like Lamu, Mombasa, or Zanzibar. They are usually
housed in narrow streets and named after the products that they specialize in like fabric souks,
gold souks, leather souks, or even copy souks for books. All these can be a bit confusing if you
walk alone. I like walking with guides because they will assist you in bargaining too especially if
it’s a country that’s not speaking your language. Some will even know the places with affordable
bargains and assist you when it comes to changing your currency.
But should you be bold and daring and opt to go solo, there are various ways to hack being in
African markets.
First research and know where what you are looking for is. There is plenty of information on
markets in Africa where you can get to know how the markets look and feel and what to look
out for while there. Also, markets in Africa are more of a destination by itself. Don’t be in a hurry
to leave them. Explore the food, the vegetables, and the people as that’s where you can firsthand
get to interact with the locals and understand their culture and what they treasure. Have an
entire day just to explore the market and take photos of course, with the permission of the
locals.
The second thing is, to carry plenty of cash and have local currency as most of the shops don’t
accept online payment. Also, exchanging cash in a market is one of the most dangerous things
to do since you can be conned or even be robbed.
If you have plenty of time, make sure you get to the market, a day or two just to browse the
market stalls and get an idea of the prices before you commit to buying an item. It will also
assist you in preparing the budget and allow for some extra change just in case you have the
urge to impulse buy. The truth is that there is no saving of cash once you get to some of these
markets. There is plenty of shoes, spices, jewelry, and other souvenirs to buy that will make you
want to buy the entire shop and run out of cash.
Breathe in and out and relieve yourself from the pressure of being overwhelmed once in the
markets. Believe me, markets can be overwhelming with everyone trying to show their products
and services, with everything that you see looking like the ‘it’ thing to buy, with you walking
around being suspicious of everyone. Most African markets are more than just markets, they
are general meeting spaces for cities, villages, and neighbors to meet there and the latest gossip
is spread there. They also discuss the news of their country and the world, some go to observe,
others to find ways of robbing people. In most markets, the best time to visit would be in the
afternoon since most shops are open.
Another thing is to try to be as calm as possible and don’t appear to be too enthusiastic particularly
when you are inquiring about an item. Play it cool like a person playing poker and don’t reveal
your cards until it favors you. Have a conversation with the shopkeepers and traders, and try to learn
more. Also, it helps if you learn a little bit of the language while in the market. Know some bit of
French, while in Francophone countries, some bit of Swahili while in East Africa, some bit of
pidgin in West Africa. It will help you connect with the traders and also eavesdrop when they
want to charge you highly.
Another thing is to bargain and bargain at all costs. You will be shocked that some of the prices are
twice or even three times higher just because you are a visitor. Should you fail to convince the
vendor of your price, you can pay more or just leave and move to another shop. Or you can
also feign disinterest and chances that the vendor might call you back to renegotiate but if not,
just head to another vendor. Don’t waste your time in one place.
Make sure you carry money in small denominations so that they don’t charge you more and
always pay in cash as it is cheaper. I also discovered that if you find something that you like,
don’t make the mistake of saying that you’ll buy it later especially when you don’t know the
market that well.
Marrakech’s Medina (Old Town) is a labyrinth of lanes and passages, and to be honest, it will be
difficult to find the item or the specific stall once you leave it.
Also, if you find yourself in a shop that has many items that you would like to purchase, request
a bargain for the total price. I mean, that would be the fairest deal having supported that
much. A vendor who will not give a bargain to a traveler is selfish and if they refuse, just buy one
item and leave. If it feels like the vendor is being rude or is clearly trying to rip you off, don’t give
him your business.
One last thing is that if you visit Morocco souks, particularly where they sell confectionaries, it is
allowed to try out some just to get a taste of what you desire to buy. This is something that
shocked me quite frankly since in Kenya, none of that happens. It would really appear rude if
you ever ate someone’s stuff and did not pay for it. In short, try and learn people’s mannerisms and
culture before you get into a market. It will save you a lot of embarrassment.
