It’s been a long, long time since I last made a stop at my local community market in Bonassama, ancienne route Bonaberi – Douala. But it hasn’t been such a long time since I was last home. I make the trip every year but with all you have to squeeze in during your time home, my aunt always manages to convince me going to the market is a priority she is happy to take on.

Believe me, my local community market is not the cleanest market in Douala. It is not the most organised either. But on a Saturday morning, it feels like a human beehive, the buzz, the noise, the kindest and willingness on every face, the sarcasm and cheekiness, and the orderliness in such chaos, was always such a source of excitement and energy for me. Everyone is willing and open for trade, everyone claims to have the best of what you are after, and discounts are always on the table. Oh, how I miss that market!!!

In the last decade, sojourning in other African countries has been how I keep in touch with the spirit of home, with the vibe and energy of the local African market. I particularly enjoyed shopping for food in Kimironko market in Kigali, for lichi and other fresh fruits in the Port Louis central market in Mauritius, for fabric in Kinshasa – did that market have a name? Well, I can’t recall. And for nuts in the open street market in Dakar. Every single one of these local markets has the same vibe. Some are cleaner, some are bigger, some are more organised than others but they each have the same soul.

For each of us, there’s that one local market which connects with us more deeply than the rest of them. My Bonassama local market remains the best. How I miss my teenage years. Back then, I made an average of three trips to the market every week. And each visit was so special.

Here are my top reasons why shopping in my local African market is more exciting than a mall.

• There’s a good chance you might be called by name: If you are a regular in your local market, then you are known by name. I miss being asked during shopping, “How is your mom? I haven’t seen her in the market for a while, you must greet her for me. How is your dad?  Does he still work with the British people? Biko, never ask a market woman, how she knew your dad!

• You get ‘dash’ : Dash is pidgin english for that little extra you get from the trader out of appreciation for your purchase. A friend once said, “Dash does the magic…even if you had been cheated to start off with, dash makes it up to the perfect quantity – no wahala…The psychological satisfaction from dash is second to none. Dash makes you smile, makes your day. And you greet the market woman with a different level of sincerity and inner joy.” I cannot argue with that.

• The bond is real and you know your real ‘Assoh’ : Your assoh is your favourite trader, the one who knows how to give you real ‘dash’. The one who values you the most as his/her customer. Guess what, when your assoh and you take your relationship to the next level, – on a good day –  she will let you pay tomorrow.

• You don’t just get food, you might get the recipe too:  It is very common for the trader to give you unique insights on the quality of the food you are buying. She will take the time to explain to you which you should cook for long, which one you can mix, which you should not. In fact, she explains what will happen if you do not follow the recipe and don’t blame it on her if things go wrong because you did not listen.

• And you must wonder why this took so long, Yes of course, your food is as fresh as they come. Most of the traders are farmers or buy directly from the farm and who can beat farm fresh organic quality?

I’ll shop in a local African market any day, any time over a mall. So, what do you like the most about your local African market?