Initially established in February 1995, AFRICAN ENTERPRISES, was set up to cater for the needs of the growing number of South Africans passing through the UK. With South Africa now re-admitted to the Commonwealth, new horizons were opened up for young South Africans to work and travel. What had begun as a trickle in the late 80's and early 90's, had become a steady flow by this time, and the need for a South African equivalent to the Aussie and Kiwi shops that were already established in London was identified.

After initially testing the market, and establishing exactly what products were most missed from home, the decision was taken to set up a formal shop, and premises were sought. These were located in the present site, in the Arches Arcade, under Charing Cross Station. The selection of the location of premises was paramount, as accessibility was vital. Thus the shop is easily reached by District, Circle, Northern and Bakerloo lines, via the Embankment and Charing Cross tubes, as well as the Charing Cross main line station. The South African High Commission is also close by, as are the ever-popular Covent Garden and Leicester Square tourist areas.
 

In the shop, we have striven to provide as many of the goodies from home as possible. These are constantly monitored by watching for new favourites from home, as well as listening to requests from customers. Many new lines have been brought in due to customer demands, but requests for the old favourites such as biltong, droewors, NikNaks, Mrs Balls Chutney, Peppermint Crisps and Pronutro are still most frequently entertained. The wines, beers and spirits also remain ever popular.

We also look into special requests from individuals, and these are handled on an item by item basis. We have also ventured into the wholesale market, and now supply a number of other shops around the UK with South African goodies.

More recent additions to the basic range are magazines, newspapers and many South African book titles. The gift and card range has also been extended, and we now have many locals coming in on a regular basis for gift ideas. The clothing range carries the entire official sporting gear, including rugby, cricket and soccer kit. International calling cards are now also available, with calls to SA at our special rates of 5p per minute, and SA mobiles at 20p per minute.

The flower delivery service has proved remarkably popular, and we now send flowers to all major destinations in SA, with a normal lead-time of 3 days. There are a number of various arrangements available, and all of these can be arranged over the phone, or viewed and ordered via this site.

We also keep a comprehensive range of Southern African maps and travel guides, and the friendly staff are always on hand to give any assistance or advice.

Our aim is always to place the customer first, and provide some good old South African hospitality within the UK service industry.

Tel : (020) 7839 6415
Unit 3, The Arches, Villiers Street London WC2N 6NG
(Map)