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RAYMOND JARAVAZA, [email protected]
A popular outlet along Fife Street, between Eighth and Ninth Avenue, commonly referred to as a “Chinese shop”, is becoming increasingly popular among residents seeking affordable goods that range from kitchen utensils to clothing items and electrical gadgets.

The shop was teeming with customers doing last-minute shopping before heading home in the evening after work.

These shops, predominantly selling cheap products manufactured and shipped from China, have mushroomed in Bulawayo, making it impossible to walk along any street without passing one. Unlike other establishments, from supermarkets to furniture shops that are known by their brand names, Chinese-owned shops in the city are not known by name but rather by the name of the street where they are located.

“These shops are convenient and cheap as they open even on Sundays and public holidays,” said a customer, Mrs Nomalanga Mpofu.

“I like this shop along Fife Street because it has some quality goods such as baby shoes and school shoes for my twin daughters in primary school.

“Of course all Chinese shops are cheap but the quality of their goods is not the same, I would like to believe,” said Mrs Mpofu.

She has been a loyal customer of goods sold in Chinese shops and is happy that even a US$1 can get her something, whether it’s a coffee mug, a plate or six spoons. Over the last two years, several Chinese-owned shops have mushroomed in the city and it’s almost impossible to walk along a Bulawayo street without passing one.

As a result, real estate owners favour them as they tend to take up all available space when renting.

For real estate agents like Mr Lewis Mutema, the larger the space, the more expensive the rental and therefore, the Chinese-owned shops are a dream client. These traders typically require vast spaces to sell their goods under one roof, rendering partitioning unnecessary.

“In the real estate business, the bigger the space the more expensive the rentals are. So, most building owners are happy when a huge space is rented out by Chinese-owned shops.

“They are usually after huge spaces and do not need to partition the space into several smaller shops. All they want is a sizable space for their merchandise to be sold in what is called a ‘one-stop shop’ where everything is found under one roof,” said Mr Mutema.

However, concern is growing among informal traders who feel that the shops are threatening their livelihoods as they can sell everything at a fraction of the price. The informal traders used to cross the border into Botswana, Zambia or South Africa to buy kitchen utensils, clothes and electrical gadgets, among other goods, for resale

“Everything is available in Chinese shops at cheaper prices so, there is no need to buy from cross-border traders who sell the same merchandise at inflated prices to make a profit,” said one customer.
From Lobengula Street to Robert Mugabe Way, there are Chinese shops.

A Chronicle news crew visited five Chinese shops in the city centre and observed that no Chinese nationals were visible in the shops.

“Chinese nationals still own the majority of the shops but you will rarely see them as they spend most of their time at the back of the shops monitoring CCTV for petty thieves or just generally overseeing the operations in the shop,” said a shopkeeper in one of the shops.

According to the shopkeeper, the Chinese shop owners run a tightly knit business where merchandise sold in their individual shops is bought in bulk from China, shipped to Zimbabwe and shared among the business owners and sold locally.

“That is why, for instance, the prices of plates or cups are the same in almost all their shops in Bulawayo. The reason for the uniform prices is that the Chinese shop owners buy their merchandise in bulk from China and share it among themselves for resale in their shops,” added the shopkeeper.

The shop owners employ locals who are conversant in local languages for easier communication with customers.

Denford Mutashu, president of the Confederation of Zimbabwe Retailers, believes the burgeoning trade between the countries is tremendous as Zimbabwe exports goods such as citrus to China, translating into considerable foreign exchange income while making cheap Chinese goods accessible to local consumers.

“Zimbabwean tobacco, macadamia nuts and citrus enjoy wide popularity in China, which generate considerable foreign exchange income for Zimbabwe and improves the livelihoods of Zimbabwean farmers.

“In turn, a wide range of Chinese products find their way into the local market and that presents a win-win situation for both countries,” said Mr Mutashu.