Shaping Botswana’s Economy: Chinese Counterfeits as Catalysts of Globalisation and Local Development

Abstract

Chinese counterfeiting has dominated the global counterfeit market, earning a negative reputation even in African countries such as Botswana and South Africa. Often perceived as low quality (even when it is not) and cheap, Chinese merchandise has shaped Botswana’s economy through its role as a catalyst of globalisation and promoted local development. Data were gathered over 13 months (four research trips) between 2011 and 2015. Follow-up interviews were conducted via WeChat in 2018 and 2022. In a context that reveals the tension between local consumers starved of products and aggressive marketing by Chinese merchants, the unfolding of the counterfeit phenomenon in Botswana points towards broader questions about the dynamic interplay between local consumers and Chinese merchandise, and between local trading policies and Chinese investors. Therefore, by studying specific Chinese cases – which demonstrate the progression from selling low-quality goods, counterfeit goods and Chinese-branded goods to the manufacturing of ‘made in Botswana products’ – we can better reflect on the importance of local trading policies. Evidence has shown that local strategic policies can guide seemingly rampant foreign investment towards contributing to the local economy and local development.