This April marks 20 years since I opened the doors to Cinda Hunter Beloved Things—and what a journey it’s been!

How it all began…
My passion for beautiful, meaningful things began young and blossomed into a love for antique African beads, adornment, and eventually, African art and artefacts. I was lucky enough to learn from some of South Africa’s finest dealers.

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In 1990, I began working in a leading African art gallery, managing it for ten years. This led to a thrilling period of traveling and sourcing for another successful local dealer and later, setting up boutique shops in safari lodges for a major safari company. After years of building knowledge and connections, I knew it was time to go out on my own.

In late 2004, I took the leap. I followed my passion for travel, for African art, artefacts, trade beads—and a deep curiosity for the treasures of India.

With the support of my sister Penny and her husband, potter Digby Hoets, I built a thatched gallery on their beautiful property in Carlswald, Midrand—just 20 minutes from Sandton. The gallery opens onto a lush and verdant inner courtyard where many of the Indian doors and architectural pieces are displayed.  The showroom sits among towering bushveld trees on a large property that takes one far from the bustle of nearby Johannesburg. It’s an immersive and peaceful space—a destination where visitors can wander, linger, and connect.

Over time, the gallery has become more than a shop:  It’s a place for long chats over cappuccino or tea and biscuits, a home for my curated curiosities - all pieces with warmth, soul and a story to tell.  It is also the heart of my wholesale business, which supplies extraordinary one-of-a-kind pieces to designers and high-end lodges across Africa.

My first independent buying trip took me to India and Nepal, and in April 2005, I opened with my very first container of treasures, alongside carefully sourced and prized African pieces. 

Since then, my travels have taken me across the globe:
India (including Ladakh), Nepal, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Ethiopia, West and Southern Africa, Madagascar, Pakistan, Vietnam, Argentina, Indonesia (Bali, Sulawesi, the Banda Islands), and more.

India remains my primary source for incredible doors and furniture; Thailand for silver jewellery and silks. I still hold a deep passion for African art, textiles and adornment.  I am in love with Japanese vintage and antique Haori—the exquisitely hand-stitched, wearable silk jackets (many of which have found their way into my own wardrobe!)

Jewellery is another love. I design and hand-assemble many of the pieces myself using rare beads, gems, pearls, pendants, and handmade clasps gathered on my travels. I even incorporate found objects from nature. Each piece is one of a kind. I also create African-inspired collections using antique and modern trade beads, which I wholesale to safari lodges and boutiques.

With limited showroom space, I buy with intention. Every item has been chosen with care, turned inside out, and must pass my personal test: Would I want to live with this?

I sell what I love. I share what inspires me. I share pieces that have a soul and a story to tell.  And I’ve been so grateful to meet incredible people—many of whom have become dear friends—along the way.

Here’s to 20 years of discovery, passion, and connection. I’d love to see some familiar faces soon—come by for a visit!

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cinda@cindahunter.com +27 83 284 1818

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