Shopping in Mozambique - outlets, shopping streets and boutiques

Mozambique is a country in Southeast Africa. Scientists proved that people lived here yet 2 million years ago. The rich history of this exotic country is like a magnet for travelers. Foreign guests can take a part of Mozambique home in the form of souvenirs and national crafts. Some of these items are unique and made with the sole purpose of selling them to foreigners. Wood carved scenes of the everyday life of Mozambicans have become a hit among tourists. As a rule, these scenes are dedicated to one theme – hospital, school, family, household, work, etc. People in these artworks are usually painted in bright colors and have thematic attributes. Animals are also often present. Each scene has a description, for example, “a lesson in mathematics”, “dentist”, “wedding”, and so on.

Mozambican metical is the national currency in the country. It is accepted everywhere in the country. Bank card payments are not widespread in Mozambique. Local people always prefer payments in cash. Tourists can even pay with U.S. dollars in some places. South African rand is also a popular currency here. Travelers can exchange dollars to meticals in banks, private exchange offices, and street exchangers. The bank is the safest place to exchange money, but banks charge a high commission. Private exchange offices offer a more beneficial exchange rate. Foreigners should refrain from using the services of street exchangers. As a rule, these individuals offer the best rate but they are likely to be scammers. Do not exchange a large sum of money in advance. The exchange rate of meticals back to dollars is usually extremely high. Moreover, it is virtually impossible to exchange the national currency of Mozambique outside the country.

The central market of Maputo, Mercado Municipal, is worth visiting even if you don’t plan to buy anything. The building of the market is an architectural landmark. Architect Carlos Mendes was the author of this project. Mercado Municipal was built in 1901 – 1903. It is a miracle that the building didn’t get any damage during the civil war that started soon after the end of the decade-long war for independence. After the restoration at the end of the 20th century, the building became one of the important landmarks of colonial architecture. Today, people come to Mercado Municipal to buy fresh food, souvenirs, furniture, paintings by local artists, live poultry, household items, jewelry, amulets, and even items for witchcraft. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

In the district of Polana in Central Maputo, foreign guests can visit Mercado Janet to buy fresh locally sourced vegetables and fruit, meat, and fish. The market is also famous for its beauty goods such as cosmetics and products for nails or hair brought from China, India, and Brazil. The assortment of items for sale in Mercado do Povo is virtually endless. Don’t forget to bargain when visiting this market. Moreover, Mercado do Povo is a great place to feel the real atmosphere of the city and get more information about the lifestyle of local people.

In Parque dos Continuadores FEIMA, there is a whole avenue with national arts. It is impossible to mention all items exhibited here because this is something like a gallery of traditional African arts. Visitors can buy any item they like – paintings, woven baskets, masks, clothing, ceramics, jewel-boxes, jewelry, etc. There are also many flowers. Don’t forget to bargain otherwise your souvenirs and gifts to family members can be very expensive. It is possible to get the price up to five times cheaper because sellers usually intentionally increase the price once they see white tourists. Make sure you have cash in small denominations, so you do not need to wait for the change and walk away without it. There are several cafes for visitors and a playground for children. It is easy to spend a whole day in Parque dos Continuadores FEIMA.

There are certain rules concerning the export of artworks and cultural objects. Not all of these rules are comfortable for tourists but foreign guests must follow them. For example, do not even try to buy ivory and any items made from this material. The export of ivory in all forms is strictly forbidden. Do not try to trick customs officers as you might end up in prison. Generally speaking, all items of cultural, historical, and art value can be exported only temporarily for exhibition purposes and only after the approval of the Ministry of Culture. When it comes to national crafts and artworks, the seller must provide a certificate proving that the purchased items have no historical or cultural value. This document entitles its owner to export the item. If you have no certificate, your purchase can be confiscated.

Tourists in Mozambique enjoy buying batik – a cotton fabric with colorful prints. Souvenirs made of wood are also exceptionally popular: jewel-boxes, smoking pipes, beads, other types of jewelry, figurines of humans and animals, ritual and souvenir masks. By the way, souvenir masks are ten times cheaper than ritual ones. Such items as clay tableware and statuettes covered with a glaze that doesn’t fade away with years, straw hats and bags, chests, furniture, baskets can also become memorable gifts from the African country. It is possible to find interesting handmade souvenirs from Vilanculos and the Island of Mozambique.

Try Rooibos tea in Mozambique and buy it as a souvenir – this endemic plant grows only in Southern Africa. Europeans wanted to cultivate it in other countries but the plant didn’t survive. Rooibos has a fruit taste and is naturally sweet (you can drink it without sugar). It is believed that this tea has rejuvenating properties. Calabash is one more original souvenir from Mozambique. This is a decorated gourd container for storing food. Local masters also make original maracas from the same material.