A diverse range of African goods, music and food can be found at the African Twilight Markets at Prospect Rd.
Organised by the African Community Organisation of SA, the open-air markets are held from 6pm to 9:30pm every Friday during daylight savings months, and feature products either made in Africa or inspired from the continent.
Located adjacent to the Prospect Council Chambers, the small cluster of stalls offer up goods that hail from all corners of Africa. Highlights include the arts, crafts and jewellery from Tanzania and Kenya, clothes from Ghana, food from Sudan ($10 for a plate with everything), a range of musical instruments, and henna painting with traditional designs.
An overture of African music adds to the ambiance, with the colourful sights, smells and sounds of the continent making for a pleasant diversion from your typical suburban shopping experience. If you're lucky, you might catch live performers putting on a free show.
Most stalls direct their profit towards charitable causes, such as Caroline Secker, who volunteers every week to sell a collection of arts and crafts, with money raised going towards the Rangala Baby Home orphanage in Kenya.
People interested in participating in the markets can seek out organiser David Malinda, chairperson of the African Twilight Market Committee, who at the time of writing this article was accepting applications for new stalls in an effort to grow the project. He prefers people to discuss ideas with him in person before embarking on the online application process.
