Senegal: souvenirs
Senegal's markets sell colour by the metre - wax prints, glass paintings, filigree and the drum tradition. Here is what travellers bring home from Senegal, where the good versions live, and the export questions worth a look - alongside our 53 written places.
The classic buys
Wax print fabric and tailoring
Six yards from Sandaga's fabric floors, sewn into shape by a local tailor in days - the West African souvenir that fits.
Sous-verre glass painting
Senegal's reverse-glass painting tradition - saints, scenes and satire from Dakar's ateliers.
Gold and silver filigree
The Wolof jewellers' twisted-wire tradition - buy from workshops in Dakar and Saint-Louis.
Djembe and sabar drums
From drum-makers who will match the skin to your hands - a real instrument, checked luggage.
Baskets from Thies
The coiled prayer-mat-to-hamper weaving in riotous colour.
Bissap, cafe Touba and spices
Hibiscus for the national drink, the peppered coffee, and netetou seasoning for the brave.
Check before you buy
- Drum skins (goat) are usually fine but some countries ask about animal-hide treatments - dealers who export know.
- Gold weights and 'old' bronzes from the wider region can be recent castings sold as ancient - buy as craft, priced as craft.
- Wax-print rolls add weight fast - the tailor-made route flies lighter.
✗ Better left behind
- Ivory bangles in old markets - banned trade.
- 'Ancient' terracottas from the Sahel - protected heritage, real enforcement.
Markets shift, workshops close and open, and the best souvenir is still the one with a story you were there for. Buy from makers where you can, keep receipts for anything substantial, and when a deal feels too good, it usually is.