The first Black-Owned Weekender is taking place this Sunday (4 July) at Pop Brixton.
The event is run by Jamii, a platform and discount card promoting Black makers.
“Jamii means ‘community’ in Swahili,” says founder Khalia Ismain.
“In 2015 I spent three months in Kenya working with micro-entrepreneurs to help them grow their businesses, and I took on board so much about how small businesses operate.
“I developed a real drive to find innovative ways to see these local business owners scale – and I learned a bit of Swahili in the process.
“So, when it came to launching my own community-building venture, Jamii was the perfect name for it.”
Running daily from 11am- 6pm, this weekend-long showcase starts with a Saturday market in Shoreditch.
Entry is free, and tickets for the Sunday date in Brixton can be purchased here.
“Brixton has a historical Caribbean community and a brimming culture of local Black business,” says Khalia.
“We’re inspired by that and thought there was no better place to host one of our first marketplaces.
“We actually planned to hold our very first marketplace in Pop Brixton in March 2020, but we all know what happened then!”
A range of products will be available to buy, from haircare and skincare to loungewear and greetings cards.
Featured businesses include Sheni & Teni, Kitchen Cosmetics, Art by Emelda and KitsCH Noir.
Up-to-date information on who else will be attending the weekend can be found via the Jamii newsletter or Instagram account.
Jamii offers 40% off on Black-run small businesses which are signed up to the scheme.
The membership card is £14.95 for a year.
Jamii was initially launched in August 2016, as a side project.
Khalia designed the scheme to make businesses easier to find, and provide a financial incentive.
“Success in business means wider representation, greater economic independence, and more voices heard,” she says.
“If we all spent as little as £1 per day with an independent Black creator, we’d be helping to empower not just individuals, but their families and their entire communities.
“Supporting Black makers is the route towards greater racial and economic equality – and that’s why we’re so passionate about it.”
