FOREIGN students from Africa usually favour malls in Puchong to hang out due to the proximity to their colleges and homes.

Umar Baba Gishiwari, 29, said he went to either IOI Mall or Tesco twice a week with friends to buy foodstuff and clothes.

Usman Musa Zakari Usman, 27, said he bought certain items at supermarkets but obtained certain ingredients from his home country as these were not available in Malaysia.

Besides a cafe on campus that offers African food, Mohd Sani Suleiman said they would have to cook on their own if they craved for food from home.

Umar Baba added that when they had the time, they also visited other places that could be easily reached by public transport like KL Sentral and KLCC.

Umar Baba, Usman Musa and Mohd Sani all hail from Nigeria but now stay in Pusat Bandar Puchong while pursuing their Business IT course at a university in Cyberjaya.

Meanwhile, a couple of students from Botswana, who are studying Mass Communi­cations at the same institution in Cyberjaya, also visited IOI Mall that sells items from Africa.

Lesedi Precious Setshogo, 20, said they came to this mall quite often to shop, eat and watch movies.

“We usually buy hair extensions and hair products from a particular stall,” he said.

Jacqueline Monei, 21, said it was convenient to just take a bus from their home in Mutiara Indah, Puchong and head to the mall.

Monei said there were a few restaurants selling African food in Bandar Sunway and Subang Jaya. The stall selling African stuff at IOI Mall offers a hodgepodge of products, ranging from foodstuff like beans, rice and dried goods to toiletries like lotions and shampoo, make-up, hats and souvenirs.

A salesman at the stall said the stall was opened by a couple of Malaysian entrepreneurs and that the items were imported from Nigeria.

Source: thestar.com.my

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