Fongkongs....

| Friday June 18, 2010 00:00

You may derogatorily call them  fongkongs, but the advent of Chinese goods has made a difference in the lives of ordinary folks.

For those who cannot afford exorbitant prices charged by South African chain stores, they have found a solace in the Chinese 'Ten Thebe' traders. Ironically, established retailers also sell Chinese goods, but the only difference is the mark up. The label 'Made in China' is removed and the customer is charged five times or more for the same article at a Chinese shop.

There are also 'boutiques' that import similar products from countries like Thailand. Since the late 1990s, Chinese traders have taken the local retail market in a big way. The Chinese stores are found in almost every shopping centre, including high-end super malls. But they are more popular in high density 'ghettos'. The Chinese traders have also penetrated the rural market.

Although as employers, Chinese retailers allegedly have poor labour relations, they have at least created employment. They are also a relief to people who own old, almost dilapidated commercial buildings which they occupy happily. Chinese shops cater for the masses. In these cold winter days, people with measly wages can afford to keep their whole families warm, courtesy of the Chinese. Prices of clothing items range from as low as P10. 

For P500, you can dress the whole family while you can buy only one item with such an amount elsewhere.   The Chinese traders do not only sell clothing. Their merchandise is wide-ranging - from electrical appliances to household goods and office furniture; from TV sets, DVD players and memory sticks to cellphones, refrigerators, generators and very warm blankets. The former MP for Palapye, Boyce Sebetlela, once remarked about people kitted out in their Sunday best, thanks to Chinese traders.

If you want a Manchester United jersey, the Chinese traders will have it for you at a good price. Batswana women are able to watch their favourite South African soapie Generations, thanks to the Chinese who provide the Philibao decoders which 'unblock' SABC channels. One man was overheard boasting to his friends how he looks good in suits bought from Chinese 'Ten Thebe' stores. 'Even these people working in government offices put on them,' the man said. 'All you have to do is take it to the dry cleaners to remove the starch.'

However, it has to be said that quality can often be an issue with some of the products. Another problem is that there is usually no warranty for the clothes. 

Many an irate customer has turned up at a Chinese shop with a shoe that fell apart on the first day.  Such a customer is usually offered another pair, but not before a heated argument in 'Fanakaloo' with the Chinese trader. And though some Chinese stores sell genuine articles, local musicians have been fighting an endless war with some of the Chinese traders for pirating their music. A few Chinese traders have actually been arrested for pirating as the police clamped down on pirating.

A Gaborone West vendor, Keneilwe Modise, says they find the Chinese shops practical to their lives. 'We don't make much from our informal work,' says Modise, the mother of one child. 'We can only afford to buy from the Chinese shops with the little we make. They help us a lot when you consider their prices.' She points to the candy jars in her stall which she says she bought from a nearby Chinese store. A TV set she bought from a Chinese shop in 2000 is still running well. Modise says those who say Chinese products do not last long do not know how to handle them. In her experience, customers will encounter problems with Chinese traders only when they want to return goods without a receipt as proof of purchase. Modise certainly does not want Chinese traders to  be deported from Botswana.

A police special constable also hails the Chinese shops, though he says he has never bought anything from them.A University of Botswana (UB) student, Stella Basinyi, is not ashamed to buy from the Chinese shops. She usually buys her tops and jerseys in winter from Chinese shops whose prices are 'customer-friendly,' especially for students like her.  Basinyi says with the recession hitting hard, only the Chinese stores are affordable. 'We can't afford clothes from just about anywhere else,' she says. Parents dress their children well, courtesy of the Chinese stores, and it is difficult to tell a child kitted out in Chinese stuff from another stuff from the more expensive stores. It is because of the Chinese that the numbers of barefooted people have gone down considerably, Basinyi says, before adding that Chinese traders also keep up to-date with fashion trends.

However, an employee at a Chinese shop does not have as much praise for his employers and says he would not be working there if he had a choice because the Chinese ill-treat their employees and pay low wages. 'They are in the habit of shouting at us. They treat us very badly. Be careful, they are watching us in the mirror,' says the employee. The man complains that they are made to work every day, have no leave or leave pay and can be fired any time.