Livingstone has two kinds of market worth your time: curio markets selling carvings, baskets, masks and fabric to visitors, and everyday markets where the town buys its food and clothes. The main curio market is at Mukuni Park in the centre of town, with smaller clusters of stalls at the entrance to the falls and at Mukuni Village. For a look at ordinary life, Maramba market is the busiest. Bargaining is normal at the curio markets, kwacha gets the best prices, and cards are rarely accepted.
Mukuni Park curio market
This is the largest and best-known craft market in Livingstone, in the town centre close to Mosi-oa-Tunya Road. Rows of stalls sell wooden carvings of animals and people, masks, soapstone, baskets, beaded jewellery, chitenge cloth, painted bowls and copper work. Listings usually give hours of about 08:00 to 18:00 daily, though individual stalls open and close as they please.
Many of the sellers make what they sell or work with family who do, and you can often watch carving in progress. Quality varies enormously from one stall to the next. Look at several before buying: the difference between a carefully finished giraffe and a quickly sanded one is obvious once you compare them side by side.
The market and the Livingstone Museum are both in the town centre, and visiting the museum's ethnography galleries first helps you recognise traditional pieces, such as headrests, stools and masks, among the souvenir stock.
The stalls at the falls
At the Zambian entrance to the falls in Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, a cluster of craft stalls catches visitors coming out of the park. The range is smaller than in town, but it is convenient if you are short of time. Traders here are used to swapping as well as selling. Some visitors bring spare T-shirts, trainers or caps to trade, which can work well for both sides.
Expect a bit more pressure to buy here than in town. A clear, polite "not today" is understood.
Mukuni Village
Mukuni is a Leya village a short drive east of the falls, and the seat of the Mukuni chiefdom. Village tours, usually arranged through tour operators and paying a community fee, show homes, the chief's area and daily life, and end at a small craft market run by village residents. The pieces are similar to those in town, but more of the money stays in the village. Go with a guide; arriving unannounced is not the way to visit.
Maramba market
Maramba is where Livingstone shops. It is a large, crowded working market selling vegetables, fruit, dried kapenta (tiny freshwater fish), maize meal, chitenge, second-hand clothes and household goods, with tailors, barbers and phone repair stalls along the edges. It is not set up for tourists and you will not find many souvenirs.
It is worth an hour if you want to see the town as residents do. Go in the morning, take only what you need, keep your phone out of sight and ask before photographing people or stalls. A local guide makes the visit easier and more interesting; several Livingstone operators include it in town tours. Guests at Zambezi Dusk can have a local market visit arranged through the lodge's partner guides.
What to buy
- Wooden carvings. The staple. Hardwoods such as mukwa are heavier and finish better than softwoods painted to look dark. Lift a piece: weight is a quick guide to quality.
- Baskets. Zambia has strong basket traditions, and woven bowls and lidded baskets are light enough to carry home.
- Chitenge cloth. Bright printed cotton sold by the length, used for wraps, skirts and tailoring. A tailor in town can make something up in a day or two.
- Beadwork and jewellery. Light, cheap and easy to carry.
- Copper. Zambia is a major copper producer, and bracelets, plates and small pieces are common.
- Malachite. Widely sold. Much of it comes from the copper belt that straddles the border with Congo. Polished pieces vary in quality and price.
- Soapstone. Carved bowls and figures, often from Zimbabwe. Heavy and breakable; pack it in clothes.
What not to buy
- Anything made from ivory, rhino horn, pangolin scales, turtle shell or wild animal skins. It is illegal to export and to import into most countries.
- Items with seeds, bark, feathers or untreated plant material if you are flying to a country with strict biosecurity rules, such as Australia or New Zealand.
- Very cheap "antique" masks. Genuine old pieces are rare and may need export permits; most are made to look old.
How to bargain
At the curio markets the first price leaves room for discussion. A few habits make it fair and pleasant:
- Decide what a piece is worth to you before you ask the price.
- Buy several things from one stall for a better overall price.
- Keep it friendly. A few US dollars matters more to the seller than to you, so do not push to the last kwacha.
- Pay in kwacha where you can. Traders who accept US dollars often round the exchange rate in their favour, and small notes are essential. Our money and payments guide explains how to get kwacha and what notes to carry.
Fitting it in
A morning in town works well: the museum when it opens, Mukuni Park market after, and lunch on Mosi-oa-Tunya Road. Mukuni Village pairs with a visit to the falls, since both are on the same side of town. Our three-day Livingstone itinerary shows one way to arrange the days.
