Christmas market in Old Montreal shines a light on African entrepreneurs

Looking to find that special gift for someone?

A magical holiday event is taking place in Montreal’s Old Port this weekend — it’s the African Christmas Market, helping to celebrate the culture’s creativity.

A variety of Montreal-based African entrepreneurs are on hand, where attendees can discover fashion, artwork, jewelry, and more.

The event is organized by the ‘Pagne at Home’ Concept Store.

“We are hosting the African Christmas Market with a diverse creator based here in Montreal, and we are showcasing the excellence of African luxury and craftsmanship,” said Stelly Tchana, Founder of Pagne at Home.

Tchana says the store’s creation was inspired by her childhood.

“My mom was working as a diplomat, so I grew up with African luxury. I was born and raised in France, and when I came to Montreal, I saw that there was nothing like that here. I say to myself, we have to do something and help all the talented designers here in Montreal, but also in Africa, who want to showcase their creations here in Montreal.” she said.

This is her first year hosting the African Christmas Market. She expressed the importance of having events like these.

“It’s really important because Montreal is one of the biggest capitals in the world, and there is no place like here to showcase that Africa is also luxury, Africa is also fashion, and it’s why we are really on point to show it here.”

Attendees can discover a variety of products from entrepreneurs.

“They’re offering food, they’re offering cosmetics, and they’re also offering fashion—luxury fashion—and they’re also offering bags and jewelry,” said Tchana.

Luxury brand designers from Mali, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, South Africa, Nigeria, and Ghana are also present.

“We have brands from Cameroon, Ghana, Nigeria, and they are showcasing what they can do and what we are doing right now in Africa. To have the opportunity to show it here in Montreal, it’s such a huge opportunity,” Tchana expressed.

Sume Ndumbe-Eyoh is one of the entrepreneurs present at the market. She is the co-founder of Eloli, an African luxury fashion brand.

“Pagne at Home is a really great idea. It brings together African brands from different countries doing different things. For us, we were here in the summer and really enjoyed meeting the fine folks of Montreal and really appreciated the opportunity to be back this holiday season to continue to introduce Montreal to Eloli. And I think for this season, if you’re looking for something fun to wear for a great party, Eloli is really the brand you need to be checking out because you can see we are. We provide those pieces for men and women,” she said.

“One of the things I really love is that you can come here and you meet designers, creators from different parts of Africa, right? And so it really introduces you to what we share and also what is really distinct about people’s point of view and what people are choosing to share in this Christmas time,” she added.

Ndeye Sene Mbye is also an entrepreneur. She co-founded Origin Planete, a drinkware company blending sustainability and culture.

“It’s very important for us to help other people know about Africa, the prints, the colors, and also the objective of the brand is to motivate people to drink more water and use less plastic. And since the bottle is very colorful, very African, so here in Montreal, the winter is very dark, very gray, so it’s a way to show a different side of Africa,” she said.

“We use a lot of prints from different countries. We try to make it appealing to a larger audience as well, so more geometric designs, more colors. And we use some from our countries as well. We’re from Senegal, so we got inspiration from Senegal as well,” she added.

Cindy Matsi is also showcasing her products from the brand Sineha.

“It’s actually a family company. We grow the Penja pepper in Cameroon. Like it’s an authentic and unique pepper. It only grows there. And then my mission is really to make people understand and get to know this pepper because it has a lot of properties for your health. It’s really good. The taste is unique. Good for seasoning, good for health, good for natural medicine. So yeah, we just try to make other products with the pepper so that people can understand that this pepper is not just used for cooking,” said Matsi.

“It’s an opportunity for us to let other people, other cultures, discover the richness and the worth of our countries,” Matsi added.

A festive café was also offered as part of the experience, with African-inspired flavors.

“This weekend, you have the opportunity to discover tastes from Africa, with jams, pastries, and to enjoy them,” said Tchana.

The Christmas Market runs until Dec. 22.

“Come and check, and you’re going to be amazed by what you’re going to discover here. You’re going to discover Africa from another point of view, and you’re going to love it and come back and come back again,” said Tchana.