After an almost 24-hour journey to Shanghai, Gladys Cobbina, a Ghanaian entrepreneur, stood at the China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai, introducing curious visitors to her all-natural shea butter cosmetics. Armed with Chinese-translated leaflets and a traditional Ghanaian maraca-like instrument to draw crowds, she hoped to break into China’s vast market.

Struggling to grow her company, Sheenah Naturals, amid rising competition and pandemic-related economic setbacks, Cobbina traveled to China with hopes of expanding her business, supported by the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA).

“Our skincare products are all natural, would you like to try them?” Cobbina asks, as curious visitors pick up her products to take a closer look. She eagerly explains their benefits, ready with her payment code to facilitate sales in a market thousands of miles from home.

Her efforts are part of a broader push by African exporters at this year’s expo, where special zones have been set up to promote agricultural and consumer products from exporters representing more than a dozen countries from Africa.

The expanded presence follows commitments made at the recent Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, as China seeks to deepen trade ties and offer new market access. For many African businesses, the expo represents both an opportunity and a challenge — navigating language barriers, complex trade logistics, and the hope of breaking into one of the world’s most competitive consumer markets.

For Cobbina, the expo offers more than individual sales; she hopes to secure a major local buyer to build long-term partnerships. On her third day, a representative from a trading company in eastern Zhejiang province visited her booth.

With the help of a translator, they exchanged contacts on the WeChat app — a small but promising step. “There’s been a lot of confusion, but I’m making progress little by little,” she says.

Samuel Dentu, deputy chief executive officer of GEPA, highlighted the significance of their participation at the expo. Ghana has one collective booth in the Food and Agricultural Products section and one in the Country Exhibition section, marking GEPA’s third visit to the CIIE.

“China is a big market, and Ghana produces a lot of organic products. We need to let customers know, so we need to be here,” said Dentu. “The two stands are quite expensive, but it’s for a good cause.” He added, “The sellers have been talking to a lot of people, and we hope that more will come.”

Both Cobbina and Dentu noted that language remains one of the biggest challenges for Ghanaian sellers at the expo. To bridge this gap, they have relied on support from people like Umeakapeace Chikaodili, a former Chinese exchange student.

Fluent in Mandarin and familiar with local customs, Chikaodili acts as a vital link, assisting her Ghanaian colleagues throughout the event. Currently working for a Zhejiang-based company that supplies machinery to Ghanaian manufacturers, she has become an indispensable resource for navigating China’s complex market landscape.

While newcomers must navigate multiple challenges to break into the Chinese market, others bring years of experience to the expo. Amadow Thera from Mali, now at his fourth CIIE, graduated with a Ph.D. from Southwest Forestry University and has shifted his focus to promoting “golden skin oil” produced by his hometown factory.

Unlike Cobbina, Thera has built a solid foundation, partnering with a Shanghai-based importer and establishing his own company in Kunming, capital of southwestern Yunnan province. “The fair has allowed me to accumulate a lot of customers,” Thera said in fluent Chinese.

(Header image: Gladys Cobbina (middle) and Umeakapeace Chikaodili (right) at the 7th China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai, Nov. 7, 2024. Wu Huiyuan/Sixth Tone)