Tag Archives: Chinese in Africa

[Article] Learning to Speak Lingerie: Chinese merchants and the inroads of globalization

Posted on May 21, 2016 by TTH

This story about Chinese entrepreneurs in Egypt was published in the New Yorker in August 2015. Though not entirely new, it remains newsworthy. In my view, it’s fascinating because who would think that lingerie would sell so well in predominantly … Continue reading →

Posted in Chinese in Africa, Egypt, Other stories | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

[Article] Inside the Mall at the Center of China’s Transformation of East Africa

Posted on May 20, 2016 by TTH

By Mansi Choksi and Kim Wall Mariam Namata’s face was dappled with sweat when she arrived for a job interview at Sunshine Foods, a company that claimed to be Uganda’s first homemade chips manufacturer. It was October 2015, a fierce … Continue reading →

Posted in Chinese in Africa, Other stories, Uganda | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Left-Behind Children Left Behind

Posted on February 29, 2016 by TTH

Looking at the four photographs below, could you guess that the Chinese children and African child have something else in common other than, possibly, age? The youngest child was about four years old when the photograph was taken. The oldest, … Continue reading →

Posted in China, Research, South Africa, Togo | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Do they really look alike, the wholesale markets!

Posted on February 21, 2016 by TTH

Except for identifying the source in one, I’ve intentionally excluded detailed captions to the three photographs that immediately follow below. Scrutinize and compare them them before reading further. Can you tell where each one was taken – city, country, or … Continue reading →

Posted in China, Kenya, Nigeria, Research | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Gender and its inconveniences for Chinese women

Posted on February 15, 2016 by TTH

“You know I never think about this. But sometimes I hate I am a girl,” my Chinese friend, Swift, wrote on WeChat one day. She was feeling annoyed with the Chinese man who’d agreed to rent one of his rooms … Continue reading →

Posted in Nigeria, Other stories, Research, South Africa | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Doing smart business or digging a deeper hole?

Posted on February 9, 2016 by TTH

The days that led up to Anna showing Swift, my Chinese friend, some figures related to the jewelry wholesale business that she had helped to set up in Togo months ago were nerve-wracking. The fear she felt and why she feared for … Continue reading →

Posted in Other stories, Togo | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Fearful for her life…once again…in Togo

Posted on February 3, 2016 by TTH

It’s getting close to late January 2016. Swift will soon have to return to Lagos, Nigeria to tend to her business. A Chinese manufacturer has been hounding her for his money. He wants it before the Spring Festival (this year … Continue reading →

Posted in Other stories, Togo | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

A prequel: surprised ending

Posted on January 25, 2016 by TTH

July 2015, Swift returned to Guangzhou from Togo. First thing she did after landing was to meet with me at the place where we had arranged beforehand. I’ve lived in South Africa and done research in other African countries, so she wanted me … Continue reading →

Posted in China, Other stories | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Prequel: business travails in Togo

Posted on January 18, 2016 by TTH

This is the “big market,” Swift shows me. In Togo, it’s called Lomé Grand Marchè, reflecting its colonial past. Located in the city center or downtown, that’s the location Swift and YC – with Anna’s assistance – chose for their first jewelry … Continue reading →

Posted in Other stories, Togo | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

A Prequel: housing woes for a newcomer

Posted on January 10, 2016 by TTH

“There is no way I can live [there],” Swift writes with an exasperated tone. Prior to her arrival in Togo, Anna had agreed for Swift to live at her house. Without any questions, the newcomer from China (my friend) arrived … Continue reading →

Posted in Other stories, Togo | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments