About Us

Who are we?

We are Wally and Jenny. Husband and wife. Proud Gambian and adventurous Brit. Owners of The African Fabric Shop. We specialise in hand dyed, hand crafted, unique fabrics and beads sourced from talented artisans and craftsmen across Africa. 

So how did we get here?

We bought The African Fabric Shop from the founders Magie & Bob back in 2024. For over 40 years they had travelled around Africa, meeting local crafts people, sourcing fabrics and setting up supply chains. So when they decided it was time to slow down and pass the business on, we put our hands up!

After all how could we not? We met through them, Jenny was Magie and Bob's right hand woman for 6 years and Wally's family have been supplying them with hand dyed fabric for the past 20, so buying the business and continuing The African Fabric Shop legacy was the natural progression for us.

In 2025 we moved the shop to our home village of Slaithwaite in West Yorkshire. Having a dedicated space to run workshops alongside regular opening hours means there is even more opportunity for our customers to visit. We love it! Talking textiles, adventures in Africa and inspiring crafty folk.

We hope to travel more throughout Africa in the future. Meeting more talented artisans and crafts people as well as maintaining all the relationships  Magie and Bob worked so hard to establish over the years.

Who runs the shop when we are away?

Meet Jade. Previously a Senior Lecturer in Textiles at Huddersfield University. She is enthusiast about sustainability, and textiles heritage and is dedicated to textile knowledge from manufacturing, provenance, cultural significance and it’s history. She also holds a PHD in clothing behavior!

Together we are continuing a legacy and carving our own path. Join us on our journey!