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Cardiff's nook for homesick Zimbabweans
By
Business Reporter
HOME-SICK
Zimbabweans who have had to switch to a European diet for a long time
can now heave a collective sigh of relief after enterprising women brought
Africa to this Welsh capital.
They have opened shops where they sell foods from various African countries.
One such shop which caters for Zimbabweans and Southern Africans is Batanai, located in central Cardiff and run by Abigail Katsande and her husband, Tapiwa.
Upon walking into their shop, there is a distinct sense of being somewhere in Zimbabwe.
The pleasant aroma of maputi wafts towards you as soon as you walk inside.
On one shelf, is an array of bottled lagers from Zimbabwe, among them Pilsner, Castle, Bohlingers, Lion and Black Label. Bottles of Mazoe drink are also arranged nearby as are packets of Tanganda tea leaves.
Remember Sun Jam, which at one time was a must-have product during Christmas for most Zimbabwean families? It can also be found at the Katsandes' shop.
Abigail says they realised that a lot of people working or studying in Wales needed familiar food or products to fight homesickness.
"You will be amazed at just how happy people become to get food that they are familiar with. It is all a part of being homesick and we believe we are helping people who are experiencing that strain."
Among some of their regular clients are South Africans who favour the biltong that the Katsandes sell.
Batanai, together with five other shops specialising in African food, opened six months ago.
One such woman proprietor is Janet Symmons, a Ghanaian. Symmons, who started living in the Welsh capital in 1981, established Xquisite Africa, also six months ago.
"Since 1981, I could not get African food in Cardiff because nobody was supplying it. This meant the few Africans living here had to travel all the way to London or Birmingham where there are large African populations, to buy African dishes."
Her visits to the two cities also gave her an opportunity to have her hair attended to.
The idea of setting up a shop that would supply African food, clothes and jewellery first came up in 1985.
Her patience paid off in the last five years as the city's African population has rapidly increased.
"The increase was partly due to the large number of African students who enroll at Cardiff University every year. In addition, there are people in Cardiff who have worked in Africa, especially Zimbabwe and South Africa who like the food and clothes from the continent."
Another group of people, who are potential customers, according to her last research, are mixed marriage couples in which one of them is of African origin.
With research indicating that there were enough people with African links to sustain her business in Cardiff, Janet officially launched Xquisite Africa, on City Road.
While other business enterprises are easily categorised by the goods and services they offer, the same cannot be said of Xquisite Africa and a sprinkling of similar shops. They offer just about any services that may be required by home sick Africans.
When asked what services she provides at her shop, Symmons says: "I sell African food from West Africa and that includes yams, cassava, hot chillies, ground corn, sweet potatoes, fish, jewellery, clothing, carvings and any services that people with links to Africa may require."
A tiny room adjacent to her small shop is a hive of activity as several women and men are catching up on the latest gossip while their hair is being attached to.
The hair salons
for African hair, according to Symmons, are a money spinner.
"African hair is very unique and this means we cannot just walk
into any salon in Cardiff and have our hair attended to. We have to
go to known people or salons where our hair can be done."
The need for hair care has seen the emergence of a small group of people with skills to attend to African hair.
For Symmons, although it is not more than a year since she set up shop, she is already excited about the prospects.
"I have not
done badly so far and the future holds a lot of promises," she
says.
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