Rondebosch Potters' Market

About Rondebosch Potters' Market

Ranked by Lonely Planet travellers as the 228th out of 659 things to do in Cape Town, the Potters' Market in Rondebosch Park, on the corner of Sandown and Campground Roads, comes but twice a year, and is easy to miss. On the second last Saturday of March and November you can acquire as many ceramic pots, plates, mugs, jugs and works of art as you can lay your hands on, directly from a collection of Cape potters, both professional and amateur.

If not already obsessed with pottery, it's a great place to become so, and with reason – the prices are excellent, the standard of work extremely high, and it is a wonderful space in which to immerse yourself in the world of earthenware clay, porcelain and stoneware. It is also a great place to stock up on gifts, particularly at the November market just before Christmas, although you will need to arrive promptly as the gates open if you're after the good deals, seconds, or the most beautiful selection, as things move fast.

Known as the Rondebosch Potters' Market, the annual event has been going since 1969 and is organised by Ceramics SA. It is also the single largest recorded gathering of potters on the African continent and anyone from gallery owners to ceramic ignoramuses bear down on tables covered in pottery intent on acquiring. The market takes place under avenues of oak trees and usually includes children's activities such as clay play.