Official Kabwata Cultural Village Page

I expected this place to be touristy/ commercial and had avoided it. But in fact this place had the lowest prices of all the places I shopped at for African crafts (including the Sunday market by Arcades Mall). The "village" is a government initiative to promote tourism, so it supports local entrepreneurs, who also seem to be provided a place to live within the same premises. I found a good variety of items here compared to the other places. I wish I had come here first before overpaying at the other places! But of course, as with anywhere else, you need to have a good idea of how much things are worth because some vendors will always try to start off with a ridiculously high price to test if you will take the bait.

Collection of traditional African homes. Lots of local vendors with stone and wood carvings for sale. It was a bit of a tourist trap, but it was interesting to see the native wood. I enjoyed looking through the many minerals for sale.

Friendly people. They are happy to tell you when you ask about goods and traditions. Market mood. Same stuff in every tent, prices vary depending on your haggling skills. There is also a small kitchen where you can get local food. Take one of the merchants with you and offer him a meal. Worth a visit.

A valuable cultural village in which the residents live there, most of them are artisans and make beautiful wood carvings mainly and sell them in tent shops. The detail of their work is remarkable, as is their art. It is worth buying small souvenirs from there at good prices, always bargaining. The people are polite and not too pushy, like elsewhere. They even let you take photos and videos of their work and the village.

This was my first time visiting Kabwata Cultural Village and my experience was amazing, my expectations were not let down! The people there are so friendly and hospitable My favorite part of the experience was the art and cultural pieces. I am definitely going back!!!

I have mixed feelings about Kabwata Cultural Village. While it offers a diverse array of Zambian and African art, the quality (and authenticity) can be hit or miss. Some pieces are genuinely beautiful and original, while others feel (read are) mass-produced and catered towards tourists. The prices, though generally affordable, can be inflated for foreigners. However, with some patience, you can uncover hidden gems. The 'village' has a lively atmosphere and (mostly) friendly vendors (that sometimes might be very pushy). Just be prepared to haggle and exercise discernment when making purchases. Overall, it's worth a visit if you're interested in some arty presents and don't mind a bit of a treasure hunt, but temper your expectations. It was just an OK experience (for me), especially after I visited some similar crafts markets in South Africa.

Once you're inside the compound of this village you're immediately treated to a beautiful display of artworks that are mostly handcrafted from wood and stone. There are items like wooden key holders, wooden freezer magnets, miniature stone-carved plates, wooden pen holders, wooden statues, african chess boards with wooden animals as board pieces, wooden pens, wooden animals you can use as decorations at home, etc. And they all have "Zambia" engraved on them which serves as a suitable souvenir to take back home if you're a tourist like me. I really enjoyed my time there.

A unique traditional craft, cultural and heritage village where rural artisans from all over Zambia bring their products for display and sale, there is huge bargaining, the maintenance of the premises requires a lot of improvement.