Zimbabwean Foods and Grocery Shops in the UK: Where to Buy Sadza, Covo, Matemba and Other Staples

Finding the tastes of home is one of the most comforting parts of diaspora life, and the UK now has a growing network of online and physical shops catering specifically to Zimbabweans. Whether you are hunting for roller meal to make proper sadza, kapenta (matemba), Mazoe Orange Crush, or Lobels biscuits, these retailers have you covered. ## Dedicated Zimbabwean and Southern African Online Shops **Zimfoods (zimfoods.co.uk)** is a Birmingham-based online retailer stocking an extensive range of Zimbabwean and Southern African groceries. Their range includes Lobels biscuits (Lemon Creams, Custard Creams, Vanilla Creams, Bermuda Creams), Charhons biscuits, Cerevita breakfast cereal (available in banana and chocolate malt flavours, including wholesale boxes of 24), Royco Usavi Mix in both chicken and beef variants, Colcom polony, Family Peanut Butter (dovi), Mazoe, Rajah curry powders, and even fresh mauyu (baobab fruit). They ship to the UK and internationally — one customer review confirms delivery as far as Russia. Prices are competitive, with many lines offered at sale prices. **Happy Hippo Foods (hippofoods.co.uk)** positions itself as the home of Zimbabwean and Southern African food in the UK. They offer free delivery on orders over £60 and aim to deliver within four working days to mainland UK. Their grocery range covers the essentials: Mugaiwa Roller Meal 5kg (£10.50), white maize kernels, kapenta/matemba (200g at £4.49), finger millet (zviyo), pearl millet (mhunga/nyauti), sorghum, samp (manhuchu), peanuts (nzungu), red and brown rice, and Mazoe drinks. They also carry spices, condiments, snacks including maputi, and beverages including tea and coffee. **Zimtuckshop (zimtuckshop.co.uk)** specialises in traditional Zimbabwean products. They stock Zimbabwean Unrefined Mealie Meal (Mugaiwa) at £7.99 per bag, which they describe as gluten-free and suitable for making sadza, chimodho (maize cakes), and breads. The site also carries handcrafted traditional goods and cooking utensils including traditional cooking spoons — useful for making authentic sadza. **Hungwe Tuck Shop (hungwetuckshop.co.uk)** stocks a range of Zimbabwean and South African groceries including Iwisa Super Maize Meal (10kg), Lobels biscuits, Karinga Usavi Mix, and Madras curry powder. They can be reached at 07472 350503 or info@hungwetuckshop.co.uk. **Kalahari Moon (kalaharimoon.co.uk)** is based in Bristol (telephone +44 117 929 9879) and carries a dedicated Zimbabwean products section. Their stock includes Dairiboard Udiwo Maheu (500ml, £1.95), Dairiboard Pfuko Maheu Buttermilk, Maputi maize snacks (50g, £0.95), Schweppes Mazoe in orange, cream soda, and raspberry flavours (2L, £8.50), Yugo Nyimo beans (500g, £3.45), Willards Korn Kurls, Willards Chicken Flings, Willards Jupiters, Charhons Quality Biscuits (500g, £2.95), Royco Usavi Mix Beef, and Cheeky Chilli Peri Peri Sauce. **Mwanaka Fresh Farm Foods and Butchery (mwanakafarmshop.com)** is a physical shop and online butcher based in Enfield, London (744 Hertford Road, EN3 6PR; telephone 01992 765 668), offering nationwide delivery. They specialise in fresh meat and butchery, including boerewors in original and garlic flavours, beef cuts, and pork trotters. They also stock Mwanaka-brand grains including Refined Maize Meal 5kg, Pearl Millet/Mhunga 5kg, Organic Sorghum 5kg, Finger Millet/Zviyo 5kg, and Roller Maize Meal 5kg. Order before 12pm for next-day delivery; orders placed after 12pm on Thursday are delivered the following Tuesday. ## South African Shops as a Source for Zimbabwean Staples Many products that Zimbabweans rely on — Iwisa maize meal, Royco, Rajah, Black Cat peanut butter, Joko tea, Knorrox stock cubes, Nola mayonnaise, All Gold tomato sauce — are also sold through South African specialist retailers including The South African Shop (southafricanshop.uk). These shops stock overlapping Southern African brands and are a reliable secondary source, particularly for maize meal in larger quantities. ## Tips for Shopping - **Bulk buying saves money**: Maize meal in 5kg or 10kg bags is significantly cheaper per kilogram than smaller packs. Wholesale options (such as Cerevita boxes of 24) are available from some retailers for those who want to stock up or share orders with friends and family. - **Check delivery terms**: Most of these shops deliver to mainland UK. Some exclude Northern Ireland, Scottish Highlands, and offshore islands — check before ordering. - **Combine orders**: To make the most of free delivery thresholds (e.g., £60 at Happy Hippo Foods), consider ordering with friends or stocking up on non-perishables like maputi, matemba, and spices in a single shop. - **Physical shops**: For those in London and the Midlands, physical stores do exist. Mwanaka is based in Enfield, and Zimfoods operates out of Birmingham. African grocery shops in areas with large Zimbabwean communities — Coventry, Wolverhampton, Leicester, South London — often carry sadza meal, covo seeds, and matemba as part of their general Southern African stock even if not exclusively Zimbabwean.