Thrift stores in Johannesburg

Thrift stores reward the patient. In Johannesburg, Gauteng that patience currently stretches across 4 mapped shops — All 4 are independent second-hand stores rather than charity shops — Johannesburg leans commercial when it comes to used goods.

This guide covers every thrift store we could verify in and around Johannesburg (within about 40 km), built from OpenStreetMap's community-maintained data. Names you'll run into include Cash Converters and Reminiscene, plus Emporium of Curiosity — each with its own personality, which is half the fun. If a shop's missing from Johannesburg's list, it probably just hasn't been mapped yet — the scene is bigger than any single dataset.

The Johannesburg thrift lineup

4 mapped within about 40 km:

What the map tells us about thrifting in Johannesburg

None of the 4 shops in Johannesburg has opening hours in the map data, so treat this as a browse-and-discover trip rather than a surgical strike. Midday on a weekday is usually the sweet spot — fresh stock, thin crowds.

The one mapped shop sits on Linroy Street — worth combining with whatever else brings you to that side of town.

The Johannesburg thrift circuit

Plot these 4 on a map and the day plans itself: Cash Converters, Reminiscene, Emporium of Curiosity, and Cash Crusaders on Linroy Street. That's the full Johannesburg circuit in one sensible order.

Thrifting tips for Johannesburg

Regulars learn these fast; visitors to Johannesburg can skip the learning curve:

• Check the furniture first at Cash Converters. Solid wood furniture is the thrift store's greatest bargain — it was built to last and priced to move. Measure your space before you go.
• Donate while you're there at Reminiscene. Bring a bag of your own cast-offs. It keeps the cycle going and the volunteers remember friendly faces.
• Cash still talks. Some small shops prefer cash and a few will deal a little on big items if you're paying cash. Worth having some on you.
• Learn your fabrics. A quick touch tells wool from acrylic, leather from pleather. Natural fibres at thrift prices are the whole game.

Good to know

We searched about 40 km around Johannesburg — that covers the town itself plus the surrounding communities you'd reasonably drive to for a thrifting run. Listings come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by local volunteers, so a brand-new shop in Johannesburg can take a while to appear. Spotted a closure among the 4, or a shop we missed entirely? The map is the source of truth here — one OpenStreetMap edit corrects it for everyone.

Prices at Johannesburg's thrift stores are set by each shop and change constantly, so we don't list them. As a rough rule, charity shops are the cheapest, independents sit in the middle, and anything labelled vintage costs more everywhere — Johannesburg included.