We visited Communica's Samrand branch

[mylesillidge]

Inside the huge South African electronics store with more than 30,000 products and a 49-year history

MyBroadband visited the 1,000m² Samrand branch of Communica, one of South Africa's oldest electronics retailers, and was impressed with the store's history and the wide range of products on offer.

Founded in 1977 by Mohammed Hassim and Shabir Shaboddin, Communica started out in a small shop in Pretoria West.

 

[DrJohnZoidberg]

Just a little bigger than their Cape Town branch

 

[gogga_]

Millions of photos. Joh.

 

[neoprema]

That place is very dangerous with a credit card.

 

[Priapus]

Went there many moons ago; was impressed. They had everything.

 

[Vis1/0N]

Pity the webstore browse and search function is so poor.

 

[saor]

That place is very dangerous with a credit card.

I also like that the people working there are generally quite clued up. Sales guys can help with electronics suggestions and if you phone and ask for stock they always know what you're talking about.

 

[saor]

Pity the webstore browse and search function is so poor.

Also wish they'd have a 'store collect' option. Have a communica close to me - silly to pay for courier and wait extra long.

Pity the webstore browse and search function is so poor.

Ja. For online electronics stuff I usually use:

Micro Robotics- Centurion Stellenbosch - Arduino Importer

Micro Robotics, Importers, Arduino,Sensors, Robotics, Pololu, Adafruit, DF Robot, Raspberry Pi, Beaglebone Black, Teensy, Stepper Motor, South Africa

www.robotics.org.za

 

[jeevadotnet]

This is what Yebo Electronics in Boston Bellville could have been if they had better management.

 

[AntennaMan]

There's never anyone around when you need assistance, and ordering components from the counter takes forever.

 

[Jet-Fighter7700]

Bigger AP electronics in JHB, pity it burned to the ground in mysterious circumstances

 

[The Gilded]

"Due to Apartheid laws, the company’s trading license had to be held under the name of a white friend."

And you think race based laws are something new. This country has always been pathetic in this regard.

 

[konfab]

Just a little bigger than their Cape Town branch

Vaalies have the nerve to complain that Cape Town is snobbish, yet their electronics wholesalers have coffee shops.

 

[kolakidd]

I am just grateful we have a big enough diy community to keep stores like this in play. That goes for our online diy stores as well.

The reality is that this is really a warehouse with stock on the reception floor. Most competitors or suppliers in this realm don’t do this. It’s nice that Communica does. It makes a pleasant break from the brochure, queue and counter setups of everyone else.

If it’s service you’re looking for, that’s not what this is about. Although, once you get to the counter they’ll help you for as long as it takes.

 

[Justanotherguybythesea]

Yes I used to buy from that PTA store when I lived in Pretoria. Built projects as well as apprentice, using a box of 100 relays they had on sale for very cheap, and built as apprentice project a working 3 stop lift, using lots of relays to do the logic, a 26VAC synchronous motor and gearbox, a few small lamps, some call switches, and lots of copper plated steel welding rods (the part we were required to use, soldered together) to build it on a galvanised steel base. Got stolen by some whoonga boy a few years ago, but still have the praying mantis I made as a demonstration on soldering skill, which took about 3 day to solder together all the traceries of veins in the wings. Catch the train from kloofsig into PTA sat morning, spend till the store closed there, then go to Sunnyside, watch a movie or two, and catch the train back, 50c per ticket.