Kenyans' chance to meet Chinese firms

Trade week offers chance to bring together buyers and sellers for partnership opportunities

Kenyan traders, especially small and medium-enterprises, are eagerly looking forward to meeting, discussing and developing trading and business partnerships with Chinese companies across various commercial sectors during the upcoming China Trade Week.

Set to take place at the Kenyatta International Convention Center from June 29 to July 1, the third edition of the China Trade Week Kenya is expected to bring together 450 exhibitors.

According to Michelle Meyrick, the events director, MIE Events International, the three-day event will be a business-to-business trade show featuring Chinese manufacturing companies looking to connect with the local and regional companies.

"It is an opportunity for the local community to develop direct trading links with high-end Chinese product manufacturers," she says.

The exhibitors will cover various industries including building and construction, lighting, machinery, consumer electronics, energy, auto parts, furniture, home electronics, kitchen and bathroom fixtures, textiles, stationary and jewelry.

Margaret Ngina, a Nairobi-based businesswoman says she is eager to meet Chinese manufacturers, hoping to sign business deals and start goods importation of goods from the Asian power house right away.

"I have always wanted to import goods from China but I have not been in a position to travel to the country. I'm happy that through the expo I will be able to meet and have a discussion with genuine Chinese manufacturers," she says.

Ngina says she is already armed with capital amounting to 250,000 Kenyan shillings ($2,420; 2,160 euros; ￡1,900), which she will use to import her first consignment.

Joseph Weru, a motobike spare parts dealer who has been purchasing her products locally is also eyeing the importation business.

"I believe I will get the right information from the exhibitors about importing spare parts from China. That has always been my dream and I'm grateful to the event's organizer," he says.

David Wang, the managing director of MIE Events, says the event will provide an opportunity for Kenyan entrepreneurs to grow strong business partnerships with Chinese companies. This is in addition to benefiting from the Chinese industrial capacity and a wealth of knowledge.

"The China-Kenya economic cooperation and trade in various fields has gained momentum over the years, and it is the very reason why we are holding the China Trade Week in Nairobi for the third time," he says.

Kenya is the Trade Gateway for distribution to the wider East African Region and is an alternative to South Africa as an entry point into the continent. It's closer to China and was part of the original Silk Road.

In 2016, the event brought together 400 exhibitors and over 16,500 visitors. The number is expected to increase during this year's expo. From the event, 15 Chinese companies have set up shops in Kenya.

"To keep up the interest of previous visitors, we are building on our free seminar program this year to bring high-caliber speakers who have many years' experience trading with China or who have spent substantial time working there," Meyrick says.

The conference she says, will also tackle the preconception that China only produces low-quality products.

"This is a problem we have across many countries, not just Africa. China can produce very high-quality products, but when the buyers have big budgets, they think of Europe and United States. But when they have low budgets, they think of China," Meyrick says.

Citing iPhones, the top phone brand in China and US, Meyrick says China has the resources to make products according to all budgets, from the very low to the highest quality. Against that backdrop, the conference will educate the local companies that they can get high quality, high-tech products from China.

The iPhone is a product of Apple Inc, an US multinational technology company that designs, develops and sells consumer electronics, computer software and online services. The company outsources most of its iPhone manufacturing to Chinese factories.

Meyrick says in the last 16 years, they have accumulated over 60,000 trusted Chinese manufacturers across a variety of industries.

The first China Trade Week event was held in United Arab Emirates followed by Kenya, Iran and Ghana and will be expanding to South Africa, Ethiopia, Oman and Morocco before the end of the year.

edithmutethya@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily Africa Weekly 06/16/2017 page27)