Beyond affordability: Explaining the consumption of Chinese products in Ghana

Abstract

The dominant thesis undergirding the surge in the consumption of Made-in-China (MIC) in Africa is the idea that Chinese products are patronised by low-income earners because they are cheap. This paper, however, argues for a discourse beyond affordability and asserts that the motivation for the consumption of MIC products are broader and more complicated. Data for this paper was collected using in-depth interviews with 65 individual consumers and 15 distributors of MIC electronics in Accra, Ghana. The findings indicate that apart from cost, the rising consumption of MIC products is anchored on product and service innovations such as product warranty and free after-sales services. Other factors include demands of urban living, perceptions of improved quality, identification with product ambassadors and product accessibility. This observation offers a conceptualisation of consumption consistent with the trickle-across model of consumption. While these Ghanaians do not discredit the quality of other brands, they envisage achieving similar or superior utility from consuming MIC products.