Africa Shopping Market

The African Craft Market houses former street stalls, now all under one roof. Two levels of stalls are crammed with souvenirs from all over Africa, and there's a wonderful selection of wood carvings, including giraffes. Also find colorful cloth and beads, drums, masks, stools, bowls, baskets and tribal clothes. You can pay by credit card, and international shipping is available. If you're lucky, you might be there for an impromptu display of traditional singing and dancing. On Sunday, the mall's car park becomes an additional rooftop market. Open daily 9 am-6 pm. Corner of Cradock

Blue Bird Shopping Centre
A small, recently built shopping center known for its delightful choice of restaurants and boutiques. If you're on a tight budget, this probably isn't the best place to visit, but if not, do go. The cupcake shop and the florist specializing in roses are not to be missed. Open daily. Corner of Fort Street and Athol-Oaklands Road, Birnam, Johannesburg. Phone 011-440-8148.

Quick now! How well does Africa Travel Magazine's web site score in the exciting, ever-changing world of fashion? The answers are astounding! In a recent search using the words Africa Fashion, our web site ranked#1 out of 2,800,000 entries on Yahoo, and was #1 on Google from 1,650,000 entries. Since Africa Travel Magazine's debut in 1995, African fashion has been a feature item on the editorial menu. It started at an event in Benin, West Africa, with our editor's keen observation and rapt attention to the wide range of colorful wear of our African and African American delegates were wearing.

The wind- up gala evenings, held twice each year, were a kaleidoscope of color. What a splash! In this issue , we feature something very dear to my heart, so let's start at the top ... "le Chapeau Africain." Since hats, bonnets, turbans, wraps and unique coiffure are such a key part of Africa's fashion scene, I am pleased to present my first articles on this delightful, universal topic featuring the designs of Alphadi, Esterella, Chrystalix, Abdela , Oumou Sy, Gigi and others we have profiled on our ATA web site. An expanded version will follow in Africa Travel Magazine's 30th Jubilee editions, lighting the spark for a Jubilee Fashion Spectacular at Travel Shows in Africa, the USA and Canada. Visit the Africa Travel Magazine web site for updates to our editorial calendar, and news from the ATA chapter level to international travel expos attended by thousands of tourism professionals, vacationers and travelers, who need to meet and get to know Africans in Tourism.

World's Largest Fetish Market: While in Togo, we spent a full day at Akodessewas, the world's largest fetish market, with its array of sorcerers' potions; roots, bark, monkey skulls, wart hog teeth, porcupine skins, leopard hides, antelope horns, bones of crocodiles, horses, pigs and monkeys, plus various parts of human anatomy. Such concoctions are used to cure everything from diarrhea and the flu, to cuts, impotence and rheumatism. I tried on a gris gris (necklace), which is said to work its magic when blessed by a fetish priest. Part doctor, part psychic, the priest relies on herbal medicines, charms and a healthy dose of positive thinking. They believe that the spirits are everywhere -- in the air, the trees, the water - even buildings. A priest calls on his favorite god to predict future events, and keep evil forces at bay. He sits on a stool in his colorful robe, holding a regal staff, receiving gifts of gin, which he sips as a troupe performs ritual chanting and dancing. A sacrificial offering is made as a show of loyalty and respect to the spirits, and to gain special favors, such as the birth of twins.

What is Kente Cloth? Basically, it's an Asante ceremonial cloth that is hand-woven on a horizontal treadle loom. The looms we saw at the village near Kumasi were out in the open air, although in a grassy, shaded area. Cloth strips, approximately 4 inches wide are sewn together into larger bolts. Of many colors, sizes and designs, Kente cloth items, long scarfs in particular, are worn throughout Ghana and its neighboring countries, during most social and religious occasions. The name comes from the word 'kenten', which means basket. We saw virtually every possible color and pattern of kente cloth during the day-long Durbar ceremony at Koforidua village near Accra. According to Ghanaians, kente depicts the area's history and philosophy, its ethics, oral literature, moral values, social and religious concepts.