The Cafda bookstore is asking the public to visit the new Kenilworth premises it moved to in June.
The bookstore, now called Cafda Book Warehouse, is in a warehouse at 18a Glosderry Road, Kenilworth.
Cafda trading manager Bradley Jones says they did not have a big opening because there were several things they still needed to sort out.
“We got it ready for trading, though we wanted to sort out the signage of the different book categories, and we had to adapt to the harder Covid-19 restrictions, so we could not have any big promotions,” he said.
The Cafda bookstore has a long history, dating back to 1961 when it opened in Wynberg.
From 1967 until May this year it was based in Claremont. It moved from Ralph Street, in Claremont, in 1967, to Warwick Street in the 1970s and then to the Werdmuller Centre from the early 1980s until 2010, when it moved to its last premises at Cavendish Close in Warwick Street (“Tough times for Cafda bookshop,” Southern Suburbs Tatler, June 25).
Mr Jones said they were still adapting to the new space – a much bigger building than the previous premises. The aisles are much wider and there’s now a room for incoming stock given by donors.
Because of the move, some of the volunteers who had helped out in the Claremont CBD had not returned, and the revenue stream still needed to pick up because the store had lost regular customers, Mr Jones said. “We want to make people aware that we are here and they should visit.”
Cafda CEO Peter Cato said there had been a lot of uncertainty over whether the bookstore’s old premises in Claremont would be sold or not and it had made planning difficult.
“Thanks to Bradley for finding this place. It’s much bigger like a warehouse where people and publishers can buy books by the hundreds,” he said.
Cafda is running a campaign for the public to support the non-profit with a monthly stop-order or scheduled payment. After three months of regular donations, donors can claim a voucher, to the value of their donation, to shop at the bookstore. Vouchers can be accumulated or donated to an institution of their choice.
The bookstore is open from Mondays to Thursdays, from 8am to 4pm, on Fridays from 8am to 3pm, and on Saturdays, from 9am to 1pm.
Call the bookstore at 021 530 1635 or visit cafda.co.za for more information or if you would like to volunteer.
