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ASR FORUM: ENGAGING WITH AFRICAN INFORMAL ECONOMIES

The China–Africa Value Chain: Can Africa’s Small-Scale Entrepreneurs Engage Successfully in Global Trade?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 November 2013

Michal Lyons ,
Alison Brown  and
Zhigang Li
Michal Lyons
Affiliation:
Michal Lyons (1950–2013) was a professor of development policy (Faculty of Arts and Human Sciences) at London South Bank University. She was the author of numerous publications, including articles in the Journal of International Development, the Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, and World Development.
Alison Brown
Affiliation:
Alison Brown is a professor of urban planning and international development in the School of Planning and Geography, Cardiff University, and an urban planner and development policy expert. She has published articles in the International Journal of Urban and Regional Research and Urban Studies and is author/editor of Contested Space: Street Trading, Public Space and Livelihoods in Developing Cities (ITDG Publishing, 2006). E-mail: BrownAM@Cardiff.ac.uk
Zhigang Li
Affiliation:
Zhigang Li is a professor of urban studies and planning in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou. He is an international editor of Urban Studies journal. He has published articles in African Diasporas, Urban Geography, Habitat International, and Urban Studies. E-mail: lizhig@mail.sysu.edu.cn
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Abstract:

This article analyzes the value chain for Chinese manufactured goods such as garments and textiles sold in sub-Saharan Africa. It explores the opportunities for Africans with small, private businesses in the export trade from China, the potential for long-term business development, and how strategies of engagement have changed over time. It finds that the value chains for low-cost goods vary. There is great diversity of entry levels and opportunities for socioeconomic mobility, and traders evolve diverse strategies to obtain and defend their position in the chain. These findings are discussed in terms of understandings of international value chains, the informal economy, and African economic development strategies.

Résumé:

Cet article analyse la chaîne de valeur pour les produits manufacturés en Chine, en particulier les vêtements et tissus vendus en Afrique subsaharienne. Il explore les opportunités pour les africains dans les petites entreprises liées au commerce d’export venant de Chine, le potentiel pour le développement du commerce au long terme, et la manière dont les stratégies d’engagement ont changé au cours du temps. Nous observons que la chaîne de valeur pour les produits à bas prix varie. Il y a une grande diversité d’opportunités de niveaux d’entrée et de mobilité socio-économique, et les commerçants utilisent différentes stratégies pour obtenir et défendre leurs positions dans la chaîne. Ces conclusions sont évaluées en terme de compréhension de la chaîne de valeur à l’international, d’économie informelle, et de stratégies de développement économique sur le sol africain.

Keywords

China–Africa tradevalue chainsinformal economy
Type
ASR FORUM: ENGAGING WITH AFRICAN INFORMAL ECONOMIES: SOCIAL INCLUSION OR ADVERSE INCORPORATION?
Information
African Studies Review , Volume 56 , Issue 3 , December 2013 , pp. 77 - 100
Copyright
Copyright © African Studies Association 2013 

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