Stalled sales at Xquisite Africa

On the 12th of September at exactly 12 o’clock in the afternoon, Ms Janet Symmons of Xquisite Africa, a quirky well stocked African shop situated on City road, was frantically called by a friend to witness what had happened to her store in the early mornings. Fire broke out at 4 a.m. due to an electrical fault caused by the freezer. Unable to get in touch with her, the fire brigade did the best they could to salvage what was left, leaving her to pick up the pieces later.

Degree of damage to Xquisite Africa Picture:Bibiana Iraki

Originally from Ghana, Ms Symmons migrated to the UK in 1980 and opened the store 24 years later when she realised that there was a need for Africans in Cardiff with regards to buying hair, food, and beauty products.

The African community had only just started to grow and a lot of people began to complain about the long and expensive trips they made to London or Manchester in order to get African produce and products. Ms Symmons opened Xquisite Africa to cater to those needs once she got a suitable location on city road- one that grew to be the focal point of Africans in Cardiff.

“This was the first major African shop to open in Cardiff” she said. “I started small and humble with a stall at the student union, then at Splott market and finally Xquisite Africa.”

The way the store came to be is what makes Ms Symmons popular among the African community. There was only around five Ghanaians and a couple of Nigerian students in the 1980s. Ingeniously, when Ms Symmons realised that the African population was steadily increasing, she kept a record of all her customers and details of what they expected from an African store. Keeping track of the growing African community and maintaining good relationships with her customers is what drew us all to this shop. “I have formed a lot of relationships with majority of the African community in Cardiff since I started” she said.

To her and many Africans in town, the space was more than just a shop. It created opportunities for people to meet and catch up whilst doing their shopping. Mrs Jebet Okafor a loyal customer and friend to Ms Symmons shared her sentiments. “Life in Cardiff is completely different to that in Africa” she said. “Catching up with friends back home was not difficult. We didn’t work so much so we had time for each other” she exclaimed.

Ms symmons: "We will have our rendevous back soon" Picture:Bibiana Iraki

The closure of the shop is set to affect many Africans as this was the only store that stocked a wide variety of African produce and products. She is however holding sales on weekends to clear the remaining stock that was unaffected by the fire. “We intend to open in February of 2011” she told us. “And this time round, we will be bigger and better.”

The passion and excitement in Ms Symmons voice is contagious. Her heart is undoubtedly African, her warmth that of our African mothers which feel you up with words of wisdom spoken with conviction.

She urged all her customers to be patient with her and promises a grand opening in February. “We will have drums, dancing and African music that will inject colour and life into City road” she said. “I intend to open an African social club that we all desperately need” she added. “One that can allow our children to learn about where they have come from.” After talking to her, Cardiff should expect more than just a shop this time round. Xquisite Africa is going all out and bringing Africa to the heart of Cardiff.

Ms Symmons is also popular in the larger Cardiff community as the woman who led the campaign for Ama Sumani in 2008, a terminally ill Ghanaian woman who was deported to Ghana regardless of her condition and lack of funds to sustain kidney dialysis and cancer care in Accra.