Van der Merwe's everywhere!

A little piece of South Africa is found in a busy shopping street in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong. If the South African flag doesn't catch the eye at the SA Camera and Video Shop, the slogan "The One and Only Van der Merwe Shop" will! The shop is owned by James Ng and PC Ching (better known as Koos), two Chinese Bhuddists. They opened the camera and video retail business in 1978 and soon became popular with South African Airways crew. Encouraged by a South African friend, Larry, in 1980 they decided to give their shop a South African name. Since then, hundreds of South Africans have bought a camera, video or other electronic equipment from them. The pair have never been to South Africa, but Koos has picked up some Afrikaans - "Baie lekker", "Dis mooi", "Geen probleem", and "Een, twee, drie. Lekker." The walls of the shop are covered with photos of the pair posing with South African customers, including Eon de Vos, Sandy McCormick, Diana Tilden-Davis, Michael Mol, Suzette van der Merwe, Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Francois Pienaar and other South African rugby players. The shop walls also have some Sharks memorabilia.