Developing a business in Africa no 'shoe-in'

Tough times hit footwear manufacturer at first after going abroad

It may turn out to be one of the most inspired decisions Wang Jianping has ever made. Going to Nigeria 10 years ago has helped him turn what was once a modestly sized shoemaker in Wenzhou, Zhejiang province, into a manufacturing phenomenon that has left its footprint all over Africa.

Soon after Wang's Hazan Shoe Co Ltd was founded in 1991 it employed about a dozen people in its small factory, where they made 300 pairs of shoes a day. These days, in addition to its factory and offices in Wenzhou that cover 116,000 square meters, it has four production lines in Lagos employing 1,000 people, making 11,000 shoes a day. It also has a research center in Italy, set up after Hazan bought the Italian shoemaker Wilson in 2008.