Shipping from China to Africa can be daunting, but with the correct information and a little preparation, it can be an easy process. This step-by-step guide will outline the necessary steps for shipping from China to Africa.
Can you imagine a pair of shoes that cost $2 in China can be sold for a whopping fee of $10 here in Africa? The high prices in your country don’t suggest that the retailers are wicked or just obsessed with milking more money from consumers. But there is different market value for wholesale purchases, retail, and consumers.
The fact is that doing a mini-importation business is very lucrative in Africa because you will probably get more Return-On-Investment on your starting capital.
Why import from China
Mini importation from China is becoming more and more popular. This is because of the many benefits that come with mini-importing from China. There are several reasons why mini-importing from China is an excellent option for businesses.
- First, China’s goods prices are often much lower than those in other countries.
- Second, a wide variety of products are available in China, so businesses can find whatever they need at very reasonable prices.
- Third, the quality of products in China is often excellent, so businesses can be assured that their products will meet their standards.
Essential things one needs to start mini-importation in Africa.
There are other factors that might influence the importation of goods but below are the three(3) most important things.
Supplier
There are a lot of websites that can cater to your mini-importation needs, such as Alibaba, eBay, 1688, etc.
Alibaba is one of the simplest platforms for sourcing goods for importation, but sometimes the prices listed are pretty high compared to 1688. com.
1688.com is primarily built for the Chinese community at a meager price; I mean very low because of the country’s population and economic situations generally on the Asia continent.
Even though 1688.com is my best choice for product sourcing, it has a downside: the language barrier. The original website language is Chinese, so anytime you want to use 1688.com, you must use Google Translator or any to translate the Chinese language to the language you can speak or read.
This article is not focused on how to source on 1688.com, but I have provided a link down this article in case you want to go solely with 1688.com for product sourcing and mini-importing.
Shipping agents
After getting your supplier and done with product sourcing, the next thing is finding a reliable local shipping agent. There are several shipping agents online. Just search for something like “local shipping agents in Nigeria” you must replace Nigeria with the country you wish to receive your items.
Getting a shipping agent to me is considered the most significant aspect of this mini-importation business because the higher the shipping fee, the higher you will like to price your products before selling.
Remember, there are competitors already in your vicinity, and if you price your products too high than your competitors, it might affect your sales.
The best way to do this is to join importation groups, meaning you order items in the group, drastically reducing the shipping fee because the cost will be shared among the group members.
Some small Cash.
The last but first important thing you need is money. I brought it last not to scare you from starting this lucrative business.
You don’t need a million dollars to start mini-importation. With about 50 dollars, you can start importing from China. Several items cost less than a dollar, especially on 1688. com.
You can start with children’s toothbrushes, school bags, casual shoes, clothing, etc. The most crucial thing in business is shrinking. When you start, with time, you will know what works and what doesn’t.