China Town malls in South Africa in the 21st century: Ethnic Chinatowns or Chinese state projects?

Abstract

In recent years, wholesale centers that sell Chinese goods and which, most often, are owned by Chinese nationals or ethnic Chinese entrepreneurs, have proliferated across South Africa at the same time as the increase in migration of individuals and capital from China. Because these centers also provide for retail sales, they are referred to as malls. While many of these malls have names that suggest their possible connection to China, the few that are named “China Town” stand out. The latter, it is argued and demonstrated here, make claims to China’s global ascendance and shed light on a conflicting relationship between Chinese diasporic communities and Chinese state politics. China Town-named malls are more than merely spaces of commerce; they also present an analytical space to think about how diverse types of Chinese actors become implicated in and negotiate their identity and relationship to China’s shifting global image and politics.