About us

Suni is British and was born in Kenya, but grew up in the U.K. as she had to go to boarding school because her parents were always moving and worked all over the world. They finally ended up working in Uganda between 1992-1995 and while at university Suni spent lovely holidays with them exploring this incredible country.  A year after they left, Suni decided to return to Uganda and has been living here ever since!

She was inspired to open her own shop by her cousins who own a wonderful craft shop in Hampshire called ‘Broughton Crafts’.  In November 1996 Suni opened her first tiny shop selling all sorts of things from beaded sandals to wooden giraffes, photo frames and baskets.  In 1999 she moved this shop to a much bigger shop in Kisementi and re-named it ‘Banana Boat’ after the Ssesse canoes you see on Lake Victoria which are often referred to as Banana Boat’s.

Suni met Ralph in 2000 and they opened another Banana Boat shop in Lugogo Mall.

Ralph helps do the boring but important side of things, the accounts and the admin, while Suni works on orders and has fun working on new products with their suppliers.  Together they also decided to build a safari lodge in Lake Mburo, called ‘Mihingo Lodge’ which opened in 2007.