Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(S.Afr.) an Indian-owned store.

1976		H. Lawrence in Sun. Times 21 Nov. (Extra) 2: In his interview, Mr M— used the term ‘babbie-shop’ which is regarded by Indian people in the same manner as Coloured people regard the term ‘hotnot’ [DSAE].
1979		Voice (Johannesburg) 4 Mar. 7: The life to be seen in the myriad little streets of the area [...] teenagers standing on the corner invariably near a Babi-shop singing the latest songs [DSAE].
1987		P. Jooste in Fair Lady 25 Nov. 142: The group of Gus-Seep’s acquaintances, known to us as the Rough Element, took up their loud game of dominoes on the pavement outside the bobbyshop [DSAE].
2001		(con. 1950s) S. Field (ed.) Lost Communities 68/2: The Indian and Malay or babbie shops were, in turn, renowned for their fragrant spices, curries, roti (flat bread), Samoosas (fried pastries with meat or vegetable filling) [etc].
2011		S.K. Ali Not a Fairytale [ebook] I have a flair for numbers; I think it's got to do with having grown up in a babbie shop.