Chinese do care about doing business in stable environment

Kingsley is the biggest exporter of men’s tailored suits to his native Cameroons from Guangzhou, where he lives with his Chinese wife and their two children.

He runs four businesses and employs more than 350 Chinese.

Guangzhou, on China's south coast, is home to thousands of African immigrants.

It is also the capital of Guangdong province, which has grown its GDP by 13 percent since 1979.

The cut of Kingsley’s bespoke suit is testimony to his success and a great representation of his business -- 12 years of first teaching English to Chinese students and then going into suit making.

Life is good.

But he decries the choices of some of the other Africans who have resorted to drug dealing or prostitution to earn a living here.

He says the leaders of the different African communities are trying to hem this in, as they "don't want to lose face with the Chinese".

And that seems to be their biggest challenge at the moment: reducing the number of African pushers and sex workers.

In downtown Guangzhou, the local municipality has set up a one-stop shop for African immigrants where they are helped with completing the necessary paperwork. Many get to stay, many others don't.

Once in, says Kingsley, it is then clearly up to you.

"Follow the rules and laws, fill in the necessary documents and you can make an honest living for yourself."

Like most, the Chinese do care about doing business in a stable environment. And stability and growth are the buzzwords. The Chinese Maritime Silk Road project, which will connect economies in Asia, Europe and Africa, will be routed to the north-east African coastline, the financial repercussions of which have yet to be determined.

It is hoped the African governments will look at ways of offering their citizens a better and safer life at home.

*Yunus Kemp is the deputy editor of the Cape Argus. He is on a 10-month scholarship with the China Africa Press Centre