From cut-price vintage designer treasures to thrift shop finds that you can pay for with small change, shopping for vintage and second-hand clothing in Joburg is a pleasure – you just need to know where to look.

In addition to dedicated vintage clothing shops, you can also find great thrift shopping at Joburg’s many weekly markets. On Saturday’s, head to Braamfontein and visit the Neighbourgoods market before popping over the street to browse the rails at the pop-up vintage market in Kitchener’s Carvery Bar. 

Meanwhile, the Rosebank Sunday Market is a particularly good place to find chic vintage accessories and jewellery (look out for the huge stall specialising in antique jewellery) and on the last Sunday of the month, you’ll find the biggest range of second-hand clothing and other bric-a-brac at the Vintage Sundays car boot sale. Ietsie Thrift is a small clothing shop in Linden, in a little centre across the street from Arthur Bales that’s mostly got items for women but there are a few men’s racks, as well as some houseware goodies.

Other great places to find interesting vintage clothing shops include the bohemian suburb of Melville. Trouvé is at the end of the famous Long Road antique strip, and one of the more high-end ones, if you’re looking for something unique. Frayznix has a private showroom in his Brixton home that he opens up to walk-ins offering mostly casual menswear, but a lot of the stuff is unisex. Yellow Pre-Loved is a tiny shop (really more like a large closet) tucked into the back of the Bamboo Shopping Centre in Melville, too. They have lovely collection of high-end women’s fashion on consignment, but you can get them online via Instagram and Yaga too. Take a stroll down the main drag of 7th Street and have a look in the quirky shopping centre 27 Boxes, the huge long-running second-hand clothing shop Rags & Lace on Jan Smuts Avenue and downtown Joburg's 'dunusa markets'. 

Joburg's downtown 'dunusa markets' are set less than 2km apart, easily accessible from Park Station. The inner-city’s best shopping open secret – the dunusas are sprawling informal outdoor second-hand clothing thrift markets. Dunusa is an isiZulu word meaning to bend down and point your bum, alluding to the way shoppers bend down and hunt for clothes.

Controlled by the African Traders Associations, the dunusa traders and clothes come from all over Africa and, as you shop, you are surrounded by a cacophony of languages from Swahili and Igbo to isiXhosa and isiZulu. With clothing prices starting at R2 per item, the dunusas offer a haven from the high cost of living in Joburg, affording the student population and the underprivileged affordable, stylish and quirky fashion options. Joburg's three main downtown dunusa markets can be found on Diagonal Street and De Villiers Street (behind Park Station). 

Each stall in the market consists of a trolley filled with clothes. There’s often a standardised price on each stall. If you’re looking to spot designer pieces, look in the stalls with higher price tags, the most expensive stalls, are usually no more than R150. Note that all stalls are cash only and might not have small change. Be mindful of your belongings and pickpockets and only carry a small amount of cash with you.

If you’re keen on some online vintage shopping, head over to The Retro Collection and Pretty Old Thing on Instagram. They mostly sell home décor and furniture but they have some delightful gems and it’s definitely worth a browse online if you’re looking for quirky antiques to add spice to your home.

Here’s a more extensive list of vintage and thrift shops in Joburg.