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ABSTRACT
While there has been a rapid migration of Chinese nationals to Zimbabwe following the ‘Look East’ policy, there has been little research on and about how the Chinese migrants relate and interact with locals and how they negotiate their social identities thereof. This paper examines Chinese small-scale traders in Harare, in particular their mundane forms of the everyday, with specific focus on their social and business practices, social relations and interactions with the locals. Drawing on qualitative ethnographic research with small-scale Chinese traders, workers and clients in Harare, this paper argues that as Chinese traders devise and deploy various tactics and strategies to adapt and get-by in the city of Harare, new and unique forms of Chineseness emerge akin to what some scholars referred to as ‘tactical cosmopolitanism’. The paper further reveals how Chinese mobility reconfigures the ways in which Chinese identities and Chineseness are enacted and articulated in Harare.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.
Notes
1. Pseudonym and all the names I use in this paper are not real names for anonymity.
2. EcoCash is a popular mobile money payment facility that is widely accepted in many shops in the country.
3. See Siziba, “Cross-identification,” 262–278,
4. Mangezvo, “Catechism, Commerce and Categories”; and Kademaunga, “Thriving Chinese Migrant Entrepreneurship in a Deteriorating Socio-Economic Environment in Zimbabwe.”
5. Mangezvo, “Catechism, Commerce and Categories: Nigerian Male Migrant Traders in Harare.”
6. See Kademaunga, Thriving Chinese Migrant Entrepreneurship in a Deteriorating Socio-Economic Environment in Zimbabwe.
7. Mangezvo, “Catechism, Commerce and Categories: Nigerian Male Migrant Traders in Harare.”
8. Ibid., 160.
9. Ibid., 161.
10. Ibid., 164.
11. Massive studies.
12. Consumption-led migrants.
14. Alao, “China and Zimbabwe”
15. See Alao, “China and Zimbabwe”; and Kademaunga, “Thriving Chinese Migrant Entrepreneurship in a Deteriorating Socio-Economic Environment in Zimbabwe.”
16. Redding,The Spirit of Chinese Capitalism, Kotkin; Tribes: How Race, Religion, and Identity Determine Success in the New Global Economy; and Koning, Chineseness and Chinese Indonesian Business Practices: A Generational and Discursive Enquiry.
17. See Vines, “What is the extent of China’s influence in Zimbabwe?” BBC News. www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-42012629.
18. Musanga,“Perspectives of Zimbabwe–China relations in Wallace Chirumiko’s ‘Made in China”; Park, “Chinese Migration in Africa”; and see also Kademaunga 2017.
19. Park, “Perceptions of Chinese in Southern Africa: Constructions of the Other and the role of Memory”; and Park, “Chinese Migration in Africa.”
20. See note 18 above, 81.
21. See note 6 above, 100.
22. Alden and Alves, “History and Identity in the construction of China’s Africa Policy;” Taylor, China’s New Role in Africa, Zweig and Jianhai; and “China’s Global Hunt for Energy”
23. Bräutigam, Will Africa feed China; and Kademaunga, 101.
24. “Romain, Of Other Spaces?”, 49; and Dunning and Lundan, Multinational Enterprises and the Global Economy.
25. Kermen and Vulliet, “Chinese Small-Business Owners and Traders in Mali and Senegal.”
26. Hodzi, Hartwell and de Jager, “Unconditional aid”.
27. Chun, “China–Zimbabwe Relations;” Hess and Aidoo, “Charting the roots of anti-chinese populism in Africa;” Corkin, “Uneasy Allies”; Bate, “Zimbabwe’s New Colonialists;” and Farineau, Red Diamonds: “Chinese involvement in Zimbabwe.”
28. Yan and Sautman, “Chinese Farms in Zambia;” Sautman and Yan, African Perspectives on China-Africa Links;and Sautman and Yan, East Mountain Tiger, West Mountain Tiger.
29. Yan and Sautman, “Chinese Farms in Zambia”
30. Axelsson, Making Borders: Engaging the threat of Chinese textiles in Ghana.
31. Warmerdam and van Dijk, “Chinese Traders in Kampala: Status, Challenges, and Impact on Ugandan Society.”
32. Farineau, “Red Diamonds.”
33. See Mohan and Tan-Mullins, Chinese Migrants in Africa as new agents of development? An Analytical Framework.
34. Hodzi, China and Africa: economic growth and a non-transformative political elite.
35. See Nyoni, “Chinese firm faces unfair labour practices accusations.” www.newsday.co.zw/2017/05/chinese-firm-faces-unfair-labour-practices-accusations/.
36. Kadirire, “Chinese abusing workers. ”www.dailynews.co.zw/articles/2017/05/08/chinese-abusing-workers-zctu/.
37. See Farineau, 2013.
38. See Masau, No Legislation in sight as Chinese labour abuses go unabated in Zimbabwe.
39. Warikandwa and Osode, “Chinese companies’ business practices and core labour standards.”
40. See Musanga, “Perspectives of Zimbabwe–China relations in Wallace Chirumiko’s ‘Made in China’”
41. See Muzulu, “Chinese fined for attempting to externalise $32k.” www.newsday.co.zw/2016/03/chinese-fined-attempting-externalise-32k/www. thestandard/co.zw/2013/03/03/chinese-airline-firm-denies-smuggling-zim-diamonds/.
42. See Chingarande, “Chinese Nationals arrested for selling $50 000 bond notes,” Rupapa, 22 Illegal money-changers jailed.www. newsday.co.zw/2017/10/chinese-nationals-arresred-selling-50-000-bond-notes/.
43. Gukurume, “Livelihood resilience in a hyperinflationary environment.”
44. Business Reporters. www.herald.co.zw/anjin-denies-smuggling-diamonds-to-china/.
45. Thondlana and Mpofu, Chinese salt away $200m diamonds. www.theindependent.co.zw/2016/05/13/chinese-salt-away-200m-diamonds/.
46. See Farineau, 2013.
47. Machakaire, Chinese duo in court for shooting Zanu-Pf MP’s son.
48. See Park, Chinese communities outside of Asia: Tracing the Chinese Diaspora, Accone, Chinese communities in South Africa.
49. Putnam, Bowling Alone: The collapse and revival of American Community.
50. Harrison, Moyo and Yang, “Strategy and Tactics”.
51. See Granovetter, “The strength of weak ties.”
52. see note 7 above.
53. See Huyah, Park and Chen, “Faces of China.”
54. See Landau and Freemantle, “Tactical Cosmopolitanism and Idioms of Belonging: Insertion and Self-Exclusion in Johannesburg,” 390.
55. Huang, “Hidden in Plain Sight.”
56. See Huang, 6.
57. See Harrison, Moyo and Yang, 899.
58. See Vearey, “Hidden Spaces and Urban Health.”
59. See Hodzi, China and Africa.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Simbarashe Gukurume
Simbarashe Gukurume is a PhD student at the Institute for Humanities in Africa (HUMA) and the Department of Sociology, University of Cape Town, South Africa. He obtained his BSc in Sociology and an MSc in Sociology and Social Anthropology from the University of Zimbabwe. Before enrolling for his PhD studies, Simbarashe was a lecturer at Great Zimbabwe University (2010–2018), and a teaching assistant at University of Zimbabwe (2008–2010) in the departments of Sociology and Social Anthropology respectively. His research interests focuses more broadly on the intersections between money, religiosities, trade and livelihoods, social movements, youth and urban studies.