Stories from “Africa Street”
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IN recent years, the influx of African businessmen to Guangzhou has drawn attention from both domestic and international society. These business pioneers from afar are reminiscent of the Chinese who went to foreign countries seeking fortunes decades ago.
At Guangzhou’s international airport, many lug heavy bags on their shoulders and wheel even heavier ones along the floor. Selling goods made in China in their home countries is great business. Their efforts not only satisfy the needs and wants of african consumers, but also promote the development of China and Africa.
Locals have long called the area around the intersection of Xiaobei and Huanshi roads in Guangzhou’s Yuexiu District “Africa street.” Strolling the area, we met a constant stream of African-origin businesspeople, and the atmosphere was jovial. Shop fronts featured T-shirts sporting images of African celebrities and state leaders, and we passed bustling cafes and restaurants whose menus are infused with Asian and African specialties.
“China Is Much Better than I Expected”
Tianxiu Office Building on Xiaobei Road has the densest concentration of African businesspeople in Guangzhou. According to the building supervisors, in 2007 when the economy was in boom, over 70 percent of the more than 600 offices in the building were rented out to businessmen from African and Middle Eastern countries. Nowadays, although African occupancy has dropped to half the 2007 rate, Tianxiu is still the first port of call for African traders in the city.
The shopping area in Tower B of Tianxiu consists of many stores of varying sizes. The products sold here are mainly garments, home appliances, mobile phones and accessories.
When we arrived at Tianxiu, most of the stores were still shut, despite it being close to noon. A man selling Arabstyle clothing on the second floor told us that most stores would open only in the afternoon. Although morning trade was almost negligible, shops did a roaring trade right through to about 11 pm, he said. Chinese vendors, used to the domestic norm of a strong morning trade and closing before evening, have had to change their habits.
At a fastfood restaurant on the first floor of the building we came across a Malian businesswoman named Rama who had just arrived in Guangzhou five days earlier. Rama wore a dark brown wig, which she assured us was a popular fashion accessory in her native Mali. Besides French, Rama had a strong command of English.
Rama told us she used to purchase goods mainly from the U.S. and Dubai. She heard rave business reviews about Guangzhou from one of her compatriots and decided to come and see what all the fuss was about. Although Rama had stayed in Guangzhou for less than a week, she was impressed by the city. She said the weather was a little bit colder than that in her country, however. “The city’s green surroundings, the people and the goods – I like it here. China is much better than I expected,” she said. Rama confessed that her trip to China had been fruitful – she was stocked up with sofas, electronic devices and fabrics. She said that these goods, combined with her earlier purchases in the U.S. and Dubai, would be enough to provide her a year’s income in Mali.
Rama was satisfied with the goods she bought in China, especially the home appliances and fabrics. “After all, made-inChina products are cheap and the quality is good.” When discussing her business, she explained, “Quality is of paramount importance to ensure customers keep coming back.” Rama said she would also buy some smart phones produced in China, noting they are “top notch.” She has established herself here, and her business partners in the city will do her buying while she is back home. Rama plans to visit Guangzhou again next year, and possibly also take in some other cities in China.
“China Is Making Me Rich!”
On Xiaobei Road we dropped into a café whose customers were mostly of African origin. The standard breakfast here, a slice of bread with coffee, is a far cry from the traditional Guangzhou breakfast of dumplings or rice porridge. Several customers sat, coffee in hand, behind a row of computers, engaged in animated conversations with families back home. Internet here is cheap – RMB 5 per hour, or less than one US dollar.
We started up a conversation in simple French with a man named Osmer. He was surprised at first, but soon opened up and shared his story with us. The 37-year-old Malian came to China for business six years ago. Growing up, his family was poor and life was hard; he left home after finishing middle school and eventually ended up trying his luck at business in the U.S., where he stayed for three years. Later, on hearing from one of his countrymen that Guangzhou was a better place to do business than the U.S., he moved here and started his China adventure.
Like most African traders in China, Osmer mainly buys garments, which account for about 70 percent of his purchases here. Osmer also buys small home appliances and a number of other commodities. Through years of hard work he has not only built up his own business, but also made a number of Chinese friends. He has learnt some Chinese and is now able to hold a basic conversation with locals. Osmer told us he has chosen to stay in China because of the current state of the global economy. In China, he says, times are still good, and products are still great value for money. Garment prices in China are about a third of those in his homeland, so arbitrage earns decent profits.
Osmer says his biggest wish is “to make enough money so I can hire someone to take care of my business in China and go back to enjoy life in my country. But I don’t know how much is enough!” Osmer also told us proudly that he had just built a new house in the suburb of Bamako, the fast-growing capital of Mali. “My new house sits just besides the ‘Third Bridge’of the city, which was constructed with China’s help. It is my business in China that brings me a fairly well-off lifestyle.”
“China not Lacking in Freedoms”
Another African businessman on Africa Street named John impressed us with his fluent Mandarin. He greeted us in Chinese, saying, “I hope the Year of the Dragon brings you great fortune. My name is John. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.” The 48-year-old is from Tanzania. As a child he heard of Chairman Mao Zedong and Premier Zhou Enlai, and learned in school that the Tanzania-Zambia Railway was built with China’s assistance. John came to China in 1987 to study Chinese for one year at Beijing Language and Culture University, after which he went to Shanghai to study mechanical engineering. After graduation he worked in Shanghai for one year before leaving for the U.S. and then headed back to Tanzania. But China was never far from his thoughts, and eventually he returned to the country he now calls home.
“In Africa I worked with Chinese people. At that time the Beijing Construction Engineering Group was in Tanzania helping to build sporting venues and roads. I was hired to participate in the project as I was familiar with both mechanical engineering and Chinese. Gradually I felt I became a ‘bridge’ between the peoples of the two countries. In 2006 after the project was finished, I came to Guangzhou and established my own company to import technologies and construction materials from China to meet the demands in Tanzania. Moreover, the Tanzanian government appointed me as representative to China for its Ministry of Public Works. Nowadays I go back to Tanzania and stay for two to three weeks every quarter. My colleagues in Tanzania are coming to visit Guangzhou very soon and they will also go to Beijing,” John said.
John has two daughters. His 7-yearold is enrolled in an elementary school in Guangzhou, and his 3-year-old is in a local kindergarten. Because prices in Guangzhou are about one third those in Tanzania, he says his children enjoy a great lifestyle compared to their contemporaries in Tanzania. John admits his kids have experienced a certain amount of culture shock, but doesn’t think it is a big problem: “My kids learn about Tanzanian culture at home and learn Chinese culture at school. I think it is good for them to be exposed to different cultures. This will surely benefit their understanding of the world in the future,” he said.“I believe China will grow into a world superpower in the future, and for that reason I want my children to be Chinaliterate,” he said.
John said his wife still isn’t used to life in Guangzhou because she can’t speak Chinese. While she often talks of going back to Africa, John feels at home in the city. He professes to having a soft spot for the local Cantonese cuisine, especially its seafood. His family has also found a place for religion in their new home. Every Sunday afternoon they head to Guangzhou’s Sacred Heart Cathedral for mass. The church caters to a large African population. It has become a place where John and his compatriots meet, socialize and reminisce about their motherland and family members. John told us he feels free to participate in religious activities in China, and that the church caters to everyone interested in attending its services.
With regard to freedom of religion, John said, “The Chinese government really does protect our rights to worship.” Whenever he hears people making haphazard comments about China in this regard, he can’t help but defend his adopted country, citing his own experiences as an example. He often finds himself saying to people back home:“You should go to China and see it with your own eyes. I have absolutely no complaints about China, and I can vouch for the freedom locals have to live their own lives. It really is a great place to live.”