The seed for this Joburg thrifting post was planted last Thursday, when I walked out of De Baba in Melville and spotted some colorful clothes fluttering in the breeze on the other side of 4th Avenue. Drawn like a moth to flame, I drifted across the street and discovered the clothing racks belonged to a new thrift shop, Thrift Therapy. I immediately spotted a vintage jacket, which I tried not to buy because I really don’t need any more jackets, but then I bought it anyway because it cost R220 ($13) and it’s perfect.

This experience reminded me that it’s high time for another Joburg thrifting roundup. There are dozens, if not hundreds, of amazing thrift shops, markets, and social media accounts in Joburg, so this list is not remotely comprehensive. It’s a haphazard bunch of places I’ve been enjoying lately but haven’t blogged about. (One of my recent favorites, Wizards Vintage, is not on this list because I blogged about it a couple of weeks ago.)

Thanks to everyone who voted for thrifting in a poll I put out on Instagram about what I should blog about next. I had such a nice time driving all over town on Saturday and chatting with Joburg thrift shop owners and staff, who tend to be particularly cool people, in my opinion. Thanks also to those who responded to my call for recommendations; Huntress, which appears in this list, is my featured audience recommendation.

Six Joburg Thrift Shops I Like

1) Retromod (Norwood)

I started my journey at Retromod, a vintage furniture and stereo/vinyl shop just off Grant Avenue in Norwood.

Retromod isn’t a conventional thrift shop; it’s more of a mid-century modern design shop. Bruno, the owner, specializes in mid-century furniture, stereo systems, and vinyl, and he painstakingly curates and restores everything he sells. But I wanted to include Retromod because I’ve been looking for an excuse to visit the shop — before this, I had only followed Retromod on Instagram. (I love the aesthetic of Bruno’s reels.)

I’m determined to own a Retromod stereo someday. Stay tuned.

2) Chic Mamas (Linden)

I then headed across town to Linden, a Joburg thrifting hotspot. It was hard to choose which Linden shop to feature but I settled on Chic Mamas, a charity shop I’ve been patronizing for years.

Chic Mamas, which has locations in Joburg, Cape Town, and Durban, sells upscale women’s clothes and is a true charity shop — it’s volunteer-run, the stock is all donated, and 100% of the shop’s proceeds go to charity. The Joburg location is hidden in a little shopping center (59 4th Avenue) that has become known for thrifting: the legendary Junkie Charity Shop is there, as is Fundi Leather (if you know, you know) and a small, second-hand vinyl shop.

I like shopping at Chic Mamas because it’s calm and well organized, with lots of sensible, conservative pieces alongside a few funky surprises. If you need a well-priced little black dress in a hurry, Chic Mamas is the place to go. Thanks to Bronweyn, the manager, for showing me around during Chic Mamas’ busy Mandela Day event on Saturday.

3) Huntress (Craighall Park)

Huntress, a consignment shop on Jan Smuts Avenue in Craighall Park, is the most upscale of the clothing shops on this list, specializing in high-quality, designer women’s clothes.

I had never shopped at Huntress before…I think I thought it was too fancy for the likes of me. But when I went in on Saturday, I was surprised to immediately spot several items, especially shoes, that were affordable and appealing to my quirky sense of style. If I hadn’t been in such a hurry, I might have walked out with something. I’ll definitely be back.

4) Conrad Collective (Blairgowrie)

Conrad Collective, aptly named for its location on Conrad Drive in Blairgowrie, is where the cool kids go to thrift — it was full of hip-looking Gen-Zs on Saturday. The store is big, well organized, and has a ton of stock at varying price points for people of all ages and genders.

I met Skye, the founder of Conrad Collective, when she ran a series of pop-up clothes swaps called Swap Movement. Skye has clearly put all her sustainable shopping passions into this brick-and-mortar location — I’ve visited Conrad Collection several times since it opened a couple of years ago and it’s always busy. I’ve bought lots of clothes at Conrad Collective and I also sold a couple of items on consignment — the process was easy and they sold fast.

Of all the thrift shops in this list, Conrad Collective wins the all-around prize for a combination of big selection, diverse stock, affordable prices, and fun shopping environment.

5) U-Turn (Melville)

It took some time for me to warm up to the U-Turn charity shop in Melville, which is at the corner of 7th Street and 4th Avenue. I went there when it first opened and there wasn’t much stock yet, plus I was slightly put off by the Christian rock soundtrack and the fluorescent-green branding. But I gave U-Turn another chance recently and realized I’ve been missing out.

U-Turn has great light, great prices, and every single item is meticulously organized by color and category. They have a ton of shoes, even for big feet like mine (a South African size 8). The prices are great, the staff are incredibly friendly, and the entire operation is part of a nationwide movement to end homelessness.

U-Turn has shops all over the country, and they buy good-quality clothes from individual sellers. (I’m going to try this soon.) The Melville location also sells furniture, plants, books, and CDs.

6) Thrift Therapy (Melville)

I’m ending this post where I started it: Thrift Therapy at 79 4th Avenue, Melville (the home of artist Martin Wenkidu). Thrift Therapy is the newest and smallest of all the shops featured here. It’s also the shop that made me the most happy this weekend.

Thrift Therapy owners Jesse and Cassie both gave up more conventional jobs to pursue their thrifting dreams, and it’s clear they have a knack for this business. The shop is incredibly welcoming, and while the selection is relatively small, you can see that every item is carefully chosen. This is the kind of place where you go not just to shop, but to chat and hang out. The experience will be different every time.

Thanks so much to all the thrifting rock stars who helped make this post! I need to start writing thrifting roundups more regularly.