In early 1997 Mike Miller was on a trip to the UK from South Africa and was asked by four South African store owners in England to find a way of importing good quality South African consumer products at low cost into the UK.

Mike and his wife Liz took orders back to South Africa, sourced the products required and packed the first container on May 30th 1997.

The products were so well received that orders started flowing in. Mike and Liz set up South African Products International (Pty) Ltd. (SAPRO) in South Africa and a corresponding company in the UK.

In the years that followed this has led to SAPRO in South Africa, now owned by Mike's old friend Brian McMillan and his daughter Audrey, continuing to source and export products, not only to the UK, but Australia, Canada and many other countries.

In the meantime Mike and Liz and family had moved to England to develop the business in the UK, initially the wholesale business which is now known as SA Wholesale and is now owned and run by Intertrans Cargo Services Ltd.

This is turn led to "THE SOUTH AFRICAN SHOP" opening in the town centre of Maidenhead in Berkshire in August 1999. This is the largest store of its type in the UK and has just entered its ninth successful year supplying products to Safrophiles throughout the UK.

In 2000 Mike and Liz, in conjunction with their business partner and accountant, Derek Railson, set up SAJE International Ltd. to concentrate on the development of THE SOUTH AFRICAN SHOP in Maidenhead and THE SOUTH AFRICAN SHOP online mailorder service.

The result ten years later is the largest specialist South African retail store in the UK (and the only one called THE SOUTH AFRICAN SHOP) and a highly professional and effective mail order system offering next working day delivery to the whole of the UK and within three working days to the rest of Europe. All products stocked in the Maidenhead store are available by Mail Order.

The Mail Order operation actually began in June 1998 with the launch of the first web site. This has now been updated to the extremely user friendly shopping experience that you are witnessing today.

So, whether you visit our retail store or shop online, our motto is simple: "If we haven't got it we will get it for you"

In other words we will try to supply you with any and every consumer good in South Africa as long as it is freely available in South Africa and is not restricted in any way in terms of importation into the UK.

We have regular airfreight shipments from South Africa once or twice every month and so we can supply you with your special requests very quickly. Try it and see.

E-mail: For all special request order enquiries email Mike Miller

In 2004 Mike, together with other leading lights in the South African consumer goods industry in England, started the process to set up SARWA, an Association of South African retailers and wholesalers in the UK.

The next step will be the opening of new stores in the UK under "THE SOUTH AFRICAN SHOP" brand, so watch this space!

SARWA (South African Retailers and Association) was born to manage the quality and cost of South African products in the UK. Mike is the Chairman of SARWA as well as being the current Chairman of SATOA (Southern African Travel Organisers Association) and one of two Executive Directors of the newly formed South African Chamber of Commerce in the UK. For further information regarding any of these bodies email Mike Miller

The SARWA website has details of the aims of SARWA and details of all member stores.

The SATOA website has details of the aims of SATOA and details of all members.

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