With an intimate knowledge of the quality and range of products produced in the African market, the company founders established the framework for the import division: Proudly African Imports that was incorporated in 2001
The initial focus of the division was to formulate and distribute a range of dry, bottled and vacuum packed products for supply to the crewed yacht and restaurant market. This was achieved very successfully in the divisions first year of operation, and the products, being of exceptional quality, and competitively priced, have gained a positive response from the local markets in each island as well.
Over the past decade this division has grown substantially, and presently supplies a range of over 250 products to over 65 Supermarkets in 4 major Caribbean islands. Expansion of the range is happening at a rapid rate. With warehouses established in St Thomas USVI and Tortola, BVI - the supply and development of the range into the greater Caribbean region is underway, as well as in Puerto Rico, Mexico and Latin America
With our African line The division purchases each line of product directly from the manufacturer in Africa; this ensures a direct link between the manufacturer and the consumer, ensuring freshness and competitive pricing. The division strives to establish agency rights to distribute and market each range direct from the supplier.
We have recently signed a strategic partnership with Grand Vins De France in St Maarten to supply their portfolio in the British Virgin Islands and with this comes the expansion of our portfolio to include an exciting range of new world, French, American, New Zealand, Chilean and Argentinian wines
Proudly African Imports is happy to offer the following ranges of products:
When Graeme and Brigitte Maccallum left South Africa in 1998, they did so on a cruising boat along with another family. Their intention was to cruise for a year or so but, by the time they reached the Caribbean, their shoe string budget was running low and they needed a source of income.
There is no better way to earn a living than by doing what you love, with Graeme’s Naval and sailing experience they soon landed a job in the yachting industry and worked as a Captain and Chef team on numerous charter boats? In the course of several years in the charter trade, they often found themselves looking for ingredients and products that they couldn’t find close at hand. Wanting to use familiar products from South Africa, they decided to see if they could import a few examples, but what to order?
“The first product we wanted to bring in was Mrs. Ball’s Chutney. In order to import Mrs. Ball’s Chutney we needed to ship 26,000 bottles in a container. We mentioned this to friends who said ‘I’d really like this’, or ‘I’d really like that’, so we put together one consolidated container, all South African products. We managed to scrape together enough cash to afford to ship one container and we pretty much sold everything!”
That venture was sufficiently successful enough to allow them to follow their entrepreneurial spirits but, as Brigitte recalled, bringing in food wasn’t going to provide sufficient income. Drawing on their yachting background they “decided to branch out into yacht provisioning and supply boats with the products we were bringing in, and supermarkets, too of course,” she said. “Bobby’s Supermarket in the BVI was our first supermarket. And that’s pretty much how it grew. The boat side grew and the import side grew and the yacht management grew and I kept saying ‘Which one is it going to be?’ and Graeme said ‘We’ll keep them going side by side until we decide which one to drop.’ Well we never did drop any of them. Now, we’re pretty much in every supermarket on Tortola, every supermarket on St. Thomas, two supermarkets in St. Martin, St. John, St. Croix, and we’re in the process of developing Mexico and Latin America. We started working from the chart table on our boat, and here we are today.”
Proudly African is incorporated in the British Virgin Island and United States Virgin Islands. We operate our own warehouse and delivery infrastructure in these territories and supply all major supermarkets and provisioning outlets with our products.
In the USVI you can purchase direct from , Cost U less, Price Smart, Plaza Extra, Gourmet Gallery, Fruit Bowl, Marina Market, Starfish market, Pine Peace Market and many more. In the BVI you can purchase from Riteway Supermarkets, Bobbys, One Mart, Bucks, Chefs Pantry as well as our own store “The Grateful Belly” Gourmet Deli located in Road Town and a satellite outlet at Nanny Cay
By selecting the islands before you shop you will see the selections available in each island.
From the delivery option you will see that you can choose. a drop off location. These are companies who carry our products and will take payment for your Provisioning.