Malta, although located in close proximity to Africa, has a relatively small African population, particularly from sub-Saharan Africa. Let’s have some numbers from the recent census collected as of November 2021.
Malta’s final resident population stands at five hundred nineteen thousand, five hundred sixty two, ( 519,562) with one hundred fifteen thousand, four hundred forty-nine (115,449) non-Maltese persons residing in the country, which makes 22.22% of residents being foreigners. That number includes British citizens.
What is even more interesting is that the Census revealed that 58% of non Maltese identify as Caucasians. Then 22.20% who identify as Asians, that is Indians, Bangladeshi, Filipinos, Nepalese, etc. 6% who identify as Arabic, ( North Africa and the middle east).
4.5 % identify as Latino, that is South America and just 6.3% identify as Africans, that is Black people.
At the national level, from a total population of 519,562 , 3.6% identify as African and Arabic types. It is always good to have numbers, in order to inform, mostly racists, ignorant people, who spread unnecessary hatred.
For Africans living in Malta, and for anyone interested in all things Africa, it can sometimes be difficult to find specific products for their cooking and personal care, such as specialized hair products for afro hair or ingredients for authentic African recipes. However, there are places on the island where it is possible find a variety of African products. In this article, we give you some info about 3 places where you can eat, where you can buy electronic accessories, fix a broken phone or computer, and where you ladies can style your hair.
The First place is Afrodeli restaurant
Eating African Food in Malta has never been more trendy since the opening of the Restaurant Afro deli in Gzira. Africa, which is usually engulfed in one entity as if being a country, is actually a continent made of 54 countries, diverse in Food and customs.
Afro Deli offers food from Ethiopia, and the menu is enriched with the delicious SAMBUSAS, a pastry filled with lentils, or beef, or lamb. They also offer a vegan taste. You will eat tasty fish with the must-have side dish injera, a pancake-like flatbread with a spongy texture, traditionally made of teff flour.
2. The second place is Jacobs´s shop in Hamrun
Are you looking for a repair shop for your slow phone or computer?
Or simply for a socket, or an electronic accessory for your smartphone, smart tv or the internet? "Jacobs Sales and Repairs' offers these services and items.
Based in Hamrun, the shop is not only a money-making market stand. It is much more than that. It is a place where many immigrants and foreigners hailing from Africa do their electronic shopping. At jacob’s, the customer knows that protocol is not the philosophy of the house. They can walk in, look around, stay , or leave, confident that no invasive shop attendant will follow them all throughout the shop to “help” them find items. If needed, a very professional technical support is provided by the owner who can do magic with electronics. Migrants in Malta are subject to numerous forms of racial and economic discrimination, and so, a place that is open to them without any prejudice can only be a prosperous one.
3. The third place is a business model that consecrates The win win between African hairdressers and barbers
It is an economic model spread in the businesses run by African barbers. They team up with women hairdressers and rent the same premises, divided in two spaces: the area for men and the one for women. Just Like Shops run by Maltese in every corner, in every town, barber shops run by Africans mushroom in Hamrun, Marsa, Msida, Buggibba and other populated towns across the island. Adamfo in Hamrun is one example of such a successful model. The shop is open from 10 am, to as late as 9 pm when necessary.
The hairdresser arrives at 3 pm, after having spent the morning in a restaurant where she has a part time job. She manages to make ends meet in that way, and the two business partners are happy.
Listen to the podcast here.
Watch the video of the report
Comments