Building Home Away From Home for South Africans Abroad

Winning the away game is rarely about individual success alone. For Saffas living abroad, it’s just as often about belonging – finding familiar rhythms, shared humour, music that sounds like home, and people who understand where you come from without explanation. In London, The Community has become exactly that: a living, breathing home away from home for South Africans navigating life overseas.

Founded by Gugu Hlophe, Dineo Makotanyane, and Molemo Matjiu, The Community isn’t a typical events brand. It’s a cultural anchor – built during a time of global uncertainty and rooted in a deeply South African instinct to gather, connect, and look out for one another. As Gugu explains, “What was apparent when we met was the common interest we had in finding our community and creating a space for us to connect with each other.”

Born in Isolation, Built on Belonging

The seeds of The Community were planted between 2020 and 2022, as the three co-founders moved to the UK at different times during the height of the COVID pandemic. All three are qualified chartered accountants, having completed their articles in South Africa before relocating to the UK to work in audit, and later transitioning into consulting and accounting advisory roles.

Like many South Africans abroad during that period, isolation hit hard. “Through the isolation experienced by this, we longed to find our community abroad and home away from home,”

Gugu reflects. What began as a simple idea – a small get-together broadcast to friends and networks – quickly evolved into something more powerful. That first gathering became Stokvel’a, and from it, The Community was born.

A Space Where Individualism Meets Togetherness

At its core, The Community is about curated connection. “It’s a space where individualism and togetherness converge in a celebration of music, food, art, and drink,” Gugu explains. The organisation specialises in creating experiences that unite free-spirited individuals while maintaining a supportive collective environment – a balance that feels distinctly South African.

Their events draw inspiration directly from home. Day parties, art exhibitions, and Sunday chill sessions are designed to recreate the lived experience of South African culture rather than reduce it to a single genre or stereotype. Music spans the full breadth of South African sound. Food reflects memory as much as flavour. The atmosphere is relaxed, inclusive, and unmistakably familiar – lekker, without trying too hard.

A Growing Audience, A Trusted Brand

What started with roughly 150 people at the first gathering in June 2023 has scaled rapidly. By 2025, The Community was hosting events attended by over 1,000 people – a powerful signal of unmet demand and deep resonance. “We’ve ‘won the away game’ by becoming a recognised and trusted brand within the event promotion space,” Gugu says.