From Isolation to Integration? A Study of Chinese Retailers in Dakar

This research paper examines the settlement and integration of Chinese retail traders in Dakar, Senegal, specifically focusing on the transformation of the Le Centenaire area around Boulevard Général de Gaulle from a residential zone into a commercial hub. It analyzes the economic drivers of this migration, the resulting tensions with local trade unions, and the community's efforts to organize independently of the Chinese embassy.

• Since the late 1990s, Chinese migrants have established a significant retail presence in Dakar, particularly along Boulevard Général de Gaulle and Peterson Avenue. By August 2009, approximately 195 shops were counted in these areas, contributing to an estimated total of 2,000 Chinese nationals living in Senegal, including both retailers and contract workers.
• The concentration of Chinese retailers in the Le Centenaire area was driven by a combination of local financial distress and Chinese business opportunities. Residents of the formerly prestigious residential zone, facing income drops after retirements and the 1994 CFA franc devaluation, rented front yards to Chinese traders for 200,000–300,000 CFA francs per month (roughly EUR 300–460), often paid a year in advance.
• Many Chinese retailers in Dakar originated from Henan Province, often as former employees of Henan Construction. This company acted as a 'Trojan Horse' by providing work permits to PRC nationals during a period between 1995 and 2005 when diplomatic ties between the People's Republic of China and Senegal were severed due to Senegal's relations with Taiwan.
• The arrival of Chinese retailers created a divide between local business interests and consumers. While the National Union of Senegalese Retailers and Industrialists (UNACOIS) organized a major strike in 2004 to protest 'disloyal competition' and low-quality goods, the Association of Senegalese Customers (ASCOSEN) held counter-protests to defend the Chinese traders, as the affordable goods increased the purchasing power of the poor.
• Chinese retailers have adapted their inventory to local Senegalese culture and religion, selling items such as prayer beads and pictures of marabouts, and targeting specific events like Korité and the Magal of Touba. This adaptation, combined with low pricing, allowed them to undercut established Senegalese retailers.
• There is a notable disconnect between the Chinese retail community and the Chinese embassy in Dakar. Retailers felt despised by embassy 'technocrats from the north' and subsequently formed the Senegal Chinese Business Association under the leadership of Qian George, a businessman with American citizenship, to remain independent of the embassy.
• The presence of Chinese shops fostered a secondary informal market of Senegalese 'table retailers' (bana-bana) who use the Chinese as wholesalers. This has led to urban decay and noise in Le Centenaire, causing residents to campaign for the removal of the informal market, though the government is hesitant to act for fear of triggering riots similar to those seen in 2007.

APA

Dittgen, R. (2010). From Isolation to Integration? A Study of Chinese Retailers in Dakar. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Occasional-Paper-57.pdf

Chicago

Dittgen, Romain. From Isolation to Integration? A Study of Chinese Retailers in Dakar. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2010. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Occasional-Paper-57.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Dittgen |first1=Romain |title=From Isolation to Integration? A Study of Chinese Retailers in Dakar |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=March 2010 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Occasional-Paper-57.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{dittgen2010from, author = {Dittgen, Romain}, title = {{From Isolation to Integration? A Study of Chinese Retailers in Dakar}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2010}, month = mar, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Occasional-Paper-57.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }