African Shops and Markets

Grant and Cutler

Grant and Cutler's World Language section covers over 50 African languages including Amharic, Shona, Xhosa, Zulu and Wolof. There is also a selection of DVDs and videos from Africa.

Headstart Books and Crafts

Headstart sells books, jewellery, art and posters reflecting African culture or cultural icons from Garvey to Selassie. It's a small shop with almost all the available space filled with a range of objects. Books range from fact to fiction and from art to politics.

Nubian Natural

Nubian Natural sells a range of health, body and beauty products based on traditional African ingredients. Natural shea butter hair care, lotions, creams, body scrubs and soaps are all available as are gifts, books, candles, jewellery and cards.

Pempamsie

Pempamsie is a collective of 4 companies that have got together in 1 shop space. It sells contemporary African clothing, jewellery, books, art and home furnishings.

Tribal Gathering London

There's over 20 years of collecting experience between the 2 owners of Tribal Gathering, which is essentially a shop and gallery space. Objects include masks, sculptures, furniture, jewellery and paintings from Angola, Kenya, Zambia, Ethiopia, Somalia and other African countries.

Yemanjà

Yemanjà is a small and friendly boutique selling books, jewellery, African crafts, sculptures and accessories. From time to time, weekend classes on African or black history are taught here.

Brixton Market

Open Monday-Saturday, 10am-sunset

Brixton market has Europe's biggest selection of African and Caribbean food, which is also sold in many of the small shop units within the market areas. Tropical fruit, vegetables, spices and specialist meats and fish are available 6 days a week. There are also a few small bakeries (inside the market as well as along Atlantic Road) selling traditional Caribbean sweet breads, hard dough bread, patties, oxtail soup and homemade Guinness punch, pineapple and carrot juice.

Choumert Road Market

Open Monday-Saturday, 9am-3pm

Between Rye Lane and Choumert Grove, Choumert Road Market comprises around 30 stalls selling African and Caribbean food including fresh fish like saltfish and red snapper. There are large and small outlets selling hair products geared to African and Caribbean customers dotted throughout the area.

Petticoat Lane

At around 400 years old, Petticoat Lane market is perhaps London's best-known market. Known for selling bargain leather jackets, fake designer watches, household goods, luggage and bric-a-brac, it also sits next to a row of shops along Middlesex Street where embroidered or printed African cloths are sold from Eko Fabrics, Premier Textiles, Vogue Embroideries, Hello Dolly, Middlesex Textiles and Good Luck Textiles.

Ridley Road Market

Open Monday-Wednesday, 9am-3pm; Thursday, 9am-midday; Saturday, 9am-5pm

Ridley Road market is one of London's liveliest and most culturally diverse. Stalls are bursting with foods and ingredients from all over the world. There are dozens selling African and Caribbean music, textiles, and food ranging from cow's feet, pig's trotters, goat meat, yams and mangos to spices.

Shepherd's Bush Market

Open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, 8.30am-6pm

Various sections of Shepherd's Bush Market sell everything from fashion to kitchen utensils. There's an African/Caribbean element in the yams, cassavas, mangos, sugar cane and fresh snapper, coley and tilapia fish that are for sale on one or two stalls here.