Best winter illumination destinations in Africa

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Winter illuminations in Africa are mostly a mall and shopping center tradition, newer and smaller in scale than in Europe or Asia, which keeps them limited to a handful of the continent's bigger cities. This means that we are keeping this list rather short.

Cape Town centers much of its display around the V&A Waterfront, where a large Christmas tree and string lights along the harbor draw evening crowds each December. Johannesburg spreads its lights across shopping malls and some residential streets, with the tradition growing steadily over the past decade. Nairobi's displays are concentrated in its shopping centers too, a newer addition to the city's December calendar that has expanded in recent years.

Visiting in the weeks before Christmas rather than after matters here, since most displays come down shortly after the holiday itself. Evenings can turn surprisingly cool in all three cities, especially in Johannesburg and Nairobi given their high altitude, so a light jacket is worth packing even in summer.