Abstract:
The dominant thesis undergirding the surge in the consumption of Madein-
China (MIC) in Africa is the idea that Chinese products are patronised by lowincome
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.
