At work on safari

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At work on safari

By Qiu Yijiao (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-07-09 13:18

Years of experience in Africa has won businessman He Liehui many good friends.[He Liehui]

When He Liehui first arrived in what he calls the "remote and mysterious continent" of Africa, he had just $700 and a container of T-shirts made at his father's factory in Zhuji, East China's Zhejiang province.

The college graduate didn't expect to be faced with a bill of $20,000 by Ghanaian officials to clear the consignment through customs.

The desperate young man finally got an idea from friends: Move the container into the bonded area, pay part of the fee to the customs officials in return for taking some T-shirts, sell them and pay off the rest of the money.

For three months, He took the T-shirts to major buyers and suppliers in Ghana and Nigeria. He sold all the T-shirts, but he didn't make any money. Even so, he was satisfied with his first adventure in Africa.

"Building a business network and gaining good knowledge of the market are more valuable than profit," He says.

Thanks to people like He, many African businessmen from countries like Nigeria and Botswana make Zhuji their first stop in China, while He helps out by giving them the information and contacts they need.

Ten years after He took T-shirts to Ghana, his business has been expanding and his company, Touchroad, established in 2002, is now the biggest Chinese company in Botswana.

He has led some 1,000 African businessmen and government officials to visit China, while encouraging his Chinese compatriots to set up there.

"Africa is attractive to businessmen because of its rich business opportunities, but personally speaking, Africa goes beyond that. I gained experiences I'd never imagined. It is my second home," He says.

When He got married in Zhuji, in 2004, officials from the Nigeria Embassy attended the wedding ceremony and gave him the title "Emir", for his business contributions to the African government, making him the second Chinese person to receive the honor.

He earned it.

In 2001, when He got an order from Nigeria for cloth, his hands shook when he found it was worth $700,000. As his family's garment factory couldn't complete the order in time, he had to outsource the business to several local manufacturing companies.

Just as He thought the order was a turning point for his business, problems arrived. The Nigerian client complained about the low quality of the cloth and demanded $20,000 in compensation. He realized the outsourcing companies had lowered their quality standards, but he didn't catch the flaws as he was unfamiliar with cloth manufacturing.

He told the client he would shoulder all the responsibility. "It was about credibility, which is my bottom line for doing business," He says.

Shortly after the first deal, the same client contacted He for another order and has since become one of his most important contacts.

While his business life has expanded, He's private life has also been enriched by Africa. Several incidents there showed him the real meaning of life.

In early 2002, He was driving to visit his friend in Nigeria's capital of Lagos when there was a huge explosion and his car was knocked over, trapping him inside.

"I was stunned and couldn't speak," He says. "There was fire and smoke everywhere on the street. People were panicking, screaming and running everywhere. Some climbed onto my car."

When his friend finally pulled him out four hours later, He was astounded to see that most of the nearby buildings had been leveled because of the accidental blast at an arms depot.

"It was the first time I realized one could be so close to death," He recalls.

Two years later, He had another close brush with death. He was on a flight to a northern city in Nigeria when the plane he was on collided with another, just before taking off. His plane lost one wing and tipped over before catching fire. Fortunately, He survived again.

Even so, He says: "African countries are friendly to Chinese and there are few trade barriers. It is suitable for Chinese companies to make investments."

He is particularly touched by the generosity of African businessmen. "People here cooperate with each other, sharing business clients and information, and it helps to reach a win-win situation."

Inspired by this attitude, He is eager to help garment companies in his hometown start operations in Africa. "I like to call these companies partners rather than competitors. I am looking forward to the day when they run bigger businesses than mine."

He has also gained support from both the Chinese and Botswana governments to establish the "China-Botswana Economic Cooperation Zone" in southern Africa last year.

"I learned the importance of two words in Africa - credibility and sharing. They are not only the most important elements for a company, but are also words to live by," He says.

"I have been close to death, I understand how important it is to treasure good relationships with others. Material things will go away, but human bonds will remain."

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