The Kenya Construction Industry Trade Union: A Friend for African Workers, a “Stranger” for Chinese Companies

“Trade unions always incite workers to make trouble, and ask us for more money. They really cause me a headache.” That is the commonly held perception of trade unions by project managers of Chinese construction companies in Kenya. According to the Kenya Labor Relations Act, a trade union is an association of employees whose principal goal is to regulate relations between employees and employers. Employees … Continue reading The Kenya Construction Industry Trade Union: A Friend for African Workers, a “Stranger” for Chinese Companies

Africa-based Chinese Tech Companies vs Chinese Construction Companies: A Dispatch on Labor Relations

Under the impact of the reform and opening-up policy in China during the 1980s, more and more Chinese companies started to seek business opportunities in various African countries. According to the data provided by China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the bilateral trade in 1999 between China and African Countries was 7 times more than that in 1979. However, the major players in the mid-1990’s were … Continue reading Africa-based Chinese Tech Companies vs Chinese Construction Companies: A Dispatch on Labor Relations

Exporting Handicrafts and Artwork to China? Another “Made in Africa” Wish

“I have nothing unhappy with the Chinese government and big corporations; they help us build a lot of things, like infrastructures. We Kenyans have bought a lot of stuff made in China, such as cell phones, but Chinese people here buy little. It’s not fair,” said John, a guide at Kazuri, an organization providing employment for disadvantaged groups within Kenyan society through the production of … Continue reading Exporting Handicrafts and Artwork to China? Another “Made in Africa” Wish

Zimbabwe’s Chinese Community: Challenges and Opportunities

Zimbabwe, a country that is endowed with abundant mineral resources, has been a recipient of huge Chinese investment. There are approximately 6,000 Chinese who work and live in Zimbabwe, with the majority engaged in trade-related industries, such as extractive, manufacturing and retail industries. In 2008, Zimbabwe suddenly became famous for its catastrophic hyperinflation. Nearly a decade afterward, in December 2017, former president Robert Mugabe was … Continue reading Zimbabwe’s Chinese Community: Challenges and Opportunities

P2P Ride-Sharing in Kenya: What Is China’s Didi Getting Into?

“I am no longer needed by my customers, but I do not need them either,” said Mourice, a driver who has switched from driving traditional taxis to Ubers. A wind of ride-sharing has blown into Kenya as Uber entered this country in 2015, with the number of drivers increasing dramatically, from one thousand to ten thousand approximately. Following the booming trend of the ride-sharing market … Continue reading P2P Ride-Sharing in Kenya: What Is China’s Didi Getting Into?