Hello and welcome to our online store

We are Merril and John, the founders of SA Fabrics and whilst we aren’t spring chickens any more – well at least John isn’t – we are really excited to be able to bring the wonderful fabrics of South Africa to you, starting with those produced by da Gama textiles at their factory in Zwelitsha, King William’s Town in the Eastern Cape.  

Like many people, after years of working for others, we are now blessed in being able to pursue something we love. It all started with becoming our own bosses in entirely different fields.  

Merril was born and raised in Durban, Kwa-Zulu Natal. John being born and raised in Ramsgate, Kent. 

We met in South Africa at the beginning of the 1990’s, moving to the UK shortly afterwards. 

Despite our business backgrounds, we are both ‘creatives’ and I suppose like a lot of people, the creative side has often been neglected because we considered that there were other more pressing realities of life. Merril is a needle worker, started in dressmaking and then discovered the joy and addiction of making her own quilts a few years ago; revelling in bright colours and patterns. Our home is being brightened by quilts and patchwork cushions and a burgeoning stash of fabric. 

Earlier in life John wielded an artist’s paintbrush whenever time allowed and produced canvases of oil portraits and animal paintings that have long gone to other people’s homes except one that has doggedly stuck through several house moves. It has been a long time since the last completed picture, but the artist has emerged if nowhere else, then to some degree here on our website. 

Through its fabrics, we want to bring the colour, design, vibrancy and tradition of South Africa to you, so hopefully you will choose to share our passion for the product, through your own creations. SA Fabrics is our business and yes, our labour of love too. 

We have another passion, which is supporting the Women and AIDS Orphans of South Africa (SA). We will be adding hand made products from the cottage industries of women in various parts of SA. We have undertaken to donate 10% of all turnover to supporting the AIDS Orphans through charities already established in SA.  

Our home and office are both in Worthing on the south coast of West Sussex.

 We look forward to increasing the range of ex-stock fabric here in the UK so we can offer you the widest possible choice. 

We’d love to hear from you. 

A heartfelt thanks from both us for helping us to achieve this.  

Blessings, John and Merril.