Abstract
China’s presence in Africa has been growing since the beginning of the 21st century. Most African people have become aware of China’s presence through their daily use of products and goods marked as “Made in China” as well as interacting with Chinese merchants in local “China shops.” These shops have been widely accepted by local people because they sell cheaper goods. Ironically, despite the convenience and affordabil-ity of China shops, in the last decade or so, local people have begun to despise and criticize such “Made in China” merchandise. They coined the name “fong kong” for their goods and wares, which means cheap, fake or counterfeit. This article traces the history of counterfeit production in China, the manner in which local people’s attitudes toward “fong kong” have changed over time as well as the way in which Chinese merchants have responded to those changes. It argues that so as to tackle the degraded image of Chinese products and goods, Chinese merchants have been upgrading their business strategy in Botswana. Specifically, they changed their business strategy and model from being distributors of “Made in China” products to being founders of “Designed in China.” The article suggests that the innovations of Chinese merchants may play a key role in promoting industrialization in Africa, although such progress may require more time to fully materialize.
