China’s economic downturn has prompted many young Chinese to go to Africa to make a living. After overcoming fears of poverty and cultural differences, many found they could prosper.
Mr. Sun gave the example of the small southern African nation of Lesotho, where dozens of local clothing factories supply jeans brands for Levi’s, Kohl’s, and Walmart stores. The workers may be from Lesotho, but the owners are Chinese.
Higher Salaries
Momo, 22, graduated from a university in Guangzhou in July 2022 with a master’s in management and then decided to move to Africa as job opportunities in China were not attractive, she told Chinese media. She was recruited to work for a private Chinese technology company in the Democratic Republic of Congo, recruiting local and Chinese employees.All her Chinese colleagues told her they came to work in Africa because of the higher salaries.
An expatriate’s salary to Africa is composed of two parts: The normal part is 15,000 to 20,000 yuan per month, which is not much different from the domestic salary of the same position; the other part is overseas subsidies, which are considerable. Enterprises usually provide subsidies based on the conditions of the country that staff are sent to, with some of those countries being more developed and safer than others.
In general, “the more chaotic and dangerous the country you go to, the higher the subsidy you can get,” Momo said.
Zeng Keyi, who graduated from a Chinese university last year majoring in French, now works as a salesperson for a private company in Cameroon. Before this, she had no idea of Africa.
“The clear purpose of coming here is to make money,” Ms. Zeng said. “My classmates and I all want material security. We aim to work here for two or three years and then go back and buy an apartment.”
In the beginning, Ms. Zeng was under great pressure as she started from scratch in the sales industry. She also studied every day after work in her dormitory and worked Saturday mornings. It was also not easy for her to deal with local clients as people from each region have French accents, different from what she learned in class.
When e-commerce worker Zhang Lanlan thought of Africa, it was about malaria, poverty, and civil unrest. However, when one of Ms. Zhang’s Chinese friends working in Algeria began posting pictures on social media with images of the sea and white houses, she “felt the architecture was quite beautiful.”
Four years later, Ms. Zhang resigned from her job in China, and a month later, she was hired by a Chinese-owned company in Algeria for translation and procurement work. The salary was acceptable, with meals and accommodation included. The most attractive thing for her was that she could take a month off with pay after working for a few months, and the company would pay for her flight back to China. She also found it easy to save money in the North African nation.
“This is a place full of ‘gold,’” he wrote, adding that the biggest payers are state-owned companies like Huawei.
“The Huawei bro who plays ball [with me] every day revealed that the $100/day overseas subsidy is very high itself, plus various bonuses, performance salary, 400-500 thousand a year is the bottom (the lowest staff). In addition, in the central enterprises where I work, it must be said that promotion is very fast in Africa.”
He said that even without a rich family, one could easily buy one or two properties in China—excluding Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen—after working six to seven years in Africa.
Life in Africa
Many people’s negative impressions of Africa include climate extremes, deserts or jungles, conflict, poverty, and disease. When hiring, Chinese companies usually need to communicate with candidates to ensure they understand the location’s actual situation.Ms. Zhang said the continent is very diverse, with North Africa being more European, while adding that West Africa and South Africa are fine, but Central Africa is more chaotic.
A common practice among Chinese companies is to build a dormitory workspace and a work-life park. Companies usually organize activities such as group shopping, and if individuals go out by themselves, they need to make a report.
In the construction industry, the conditions of those who work in offices, branches, or project departments are very good, he said.
“The economic circle of African countries is certainly in the capital. Life in the white people’s areas is enjoyable, and the bustling areas are comparable to prefecture-level cities in China. 4G was introduced in the Congolese capital two years ago,” he wrote.
The advantage of keeping everyone in the park is that the company solves most problems of daily living while individuals save money. The disadvantage is that entertainment and things to do for young people are scarce.
Ms. Zeng in Cameron said that some habits she formed in China, such as drinking milk tea and ordering take-out food, are hardly achievable.
Health care is another problem, with many colleagues around a Chinese salesman named Chen Long contracting malaria, which is a problem in sub-Saharan Africa. But despite this, he didn’t want to return to China as he enjoyed the benefits of being an expat.
The happiest moment for Ms. Zhang in Algeria is walking on a beach with colleagues for a rest. Once, she and her friends ran into a local holding two horses who agreed to let her ride horses for photos.
“If it had been left to us Chinese to develop, the place would have long been a tourist attraction,” she said.
The number of China’s younger generation going to Africa may also increase, with official figures showing the country’s youth unemployment reached a new record high, with the jobless rate of 16- to 24-year-olds in urban areas increasing to 21.3 percent last month.
