Zimbabwean Foods Available in the UK: Where to Buy Sadza, Matemba, Kapenta and Other Home Staples

Finding the tastes of home in the UK has become considerably easier over the past decade. A growing network of online Zimbabwean and African grocery retailers now ships staples like mealie meal, matemba, Mazoe, Cerevita, and Royco usavi mix directly to your door across mainland Britain. Whether you are in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Bristol, or Glasgow, you no longer need to rely on a single local African shop. **Online Zimbabwean Grocery Retailers** Several dedicated online stores have built their businesses specifically around the Zimbabwean diaspora market: **Mars International Foods** (marsfoods.co.uk) stocks a broad range including Cerevita (all flavours) at around £8.00, Mazoe Orange Crush 2L at approximately £8.00, Aromat Seasoning 75g at £2.00, Nestlé Cremora 1kg at £8.00, and dried kapenta. They offer UK-wide delivery and promote everyday affordability with regular discounts. **Zimfoods** (zimfoods.co.uk), based in Birmingham, carries an extensive range of traditional and everyday Zimbabwean and Southern African groceries. Their catalogue includes Family Peanut Butter 300g (dovi) at around £2.00 on sale, Royco Usavi Mix (chicken and beef varieties) at approximately £1.50, Colcom French Polony 750g, Lobels Choice Biscuits, Topper Biscuits in multiple flavours, and fresh mauyu (baobab fruit pulp). They regularly run 20% off promotions on new stock arrivals. **Zimtuckshop** (zimtuckshop.co.uk) is another specialist retailer carrying traditional Zimbabwean foods. They stock Shemark Matemba/Kapenta at around £4.50 for a 200g pack, Shemark Mawuyu/Baobab Fruit Pulp at £5.99, Mushe Mahewu Overnight, Shemark Powdered Derere (okra), and homebrewing kits including Supa Brew Beer (umqombothi/doro). Stock levels vary, so checking availability before ordering is advisable. **Solide Store UK** (solidestore.uk) specialises in Zimbabwean products and stocks Matemba — Kariba Dried Kapenta in 250g packs. They can be reached via WhatsApp on +44 7728 598027 or +44 7361 031838 for enquiries. **Happy Hippo Foods** (hippofoods.co.uk) carries kapenta/matemba at £4.49 for 200g, alongside biltong, sugar beans, and other Southern African products. They ship to mainland UK only. Note that specific items may go out of stock periodically. **Buying Maize Meal for Sadza** Maize meal — the core ingredient for sadza — is widely available in the UK through multiple channels. Online African grocery stores typically carry it, but it is also sold in many independent African and Asian corner shops in most UK cities. South African brands such as Iwisa are commonly available and some are pre-cooked, which speeds up preparation considerably. Brands marketed for ugali or pap (common in East and West African shops) work equally well for sadza, as they use the same finely ground white maize meal. Amazon also stocks maize meal from multiple brands, with 4kg packs available for home delivery. When shopping in mainstream supermarkets, look in the world foods aisle, though availability there is less consistent. **Matemba and Kapenta** These small dried freshwater fish — known as matemba in Zimbabwe and kapenta in Zambia — are rich in protein, iron, vitamin B12, and omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. They are available from Zimtuckshop, Solide Store, Happy Hippo Foods, and Mars International, typically priced between £4.50 and £7.45 for 150g–250g packs. Dried kapenta keeps well and is straightforward to cook: fry in a little oil with tomatoes and onions, or simmer into a stew to serve alongside sadza. **Other Zimbabwean Staples to Look For** - **Mazoe Orange Crush** — available from most Zimbabwean online shops at around £8.00 for 2 litres - **Cerevita** — breakfast cereal beloved across Zimbabwe, stocked by Mars International at around £8.00 - **Royco Usavi Mix** — beef and chicken flavours available from Zimfoods at roughly £1.50 per pack - **Aromat Seasoning** — around £2.00 for 75g - **Knorrox Stock Cubes** — both chicken and beef varieties available, around £5.00 for a pack of 24 - **Mahewu** — fermented maize drink available from Zimtuckshop - **Mauyu (baobab)** — dried baobab fruit pulp, stocked by Zimfoods and Zimtuckshop - **Boerewors** — some UK butchers make boerewors and deliver by post; African grocery websites also carry it - **Colcom products** — French polony and other processed meats are stocked by select retailers **Sending Groceries to Family in Zimbabwe** For those wanting to shop for relatives back home rather than in the UK, ZimGroceries (zimgroceries.co.uk) operates a different model — you browse and pay from the UK, and they deliver in Harare and surrounding areas within 3–5 business days. They source products locally in Zimbabwe and offer hamper-building options for birthdays or special occasions. **Tips for Diaspora Shoppers** Stock availability fluctuates across all these retailers, particularly for niche traditional items like derere powder, mauyu, and mahewu. Signing up to retailer newsletters or following them on social media is the most reliable way to be notified when popular items are restocked. Ordering in bulk where possible — especially for non-perishables like maize meal, kapenta, and spices — reduces both cost and the frequency of orders. Most retailers offer tracked shipping, which is worth requesting given the distances involved.