Zhejiang native settles into niche serving advertising, design needs of Chinese businesses

Hailing from Qingtian, a county in East China's Zhejiang province, Ning Naixin, director of China Super Scope Media Limited, a branding, graphics and advertising services provider, had visited many countries before choosing to settle down in Kenya in 2015.

Ning's first step into business was in Yugoslavia, where he went with several other Chinese in 1999. He had been engaged in the wholesale clothing business for 10 years, which provided an early accumulation of capital. As the economy in that country went sluggish and the business environment worsened, he decided to leave in 2008.

He spent that whole year looking for a place to set up a new business. He went to Dubai, the trading capital of the Middle East and North Africa, then to Iran as well as other European countries. But none were satisfactory for new business.

Then he began to cast his eyes on sub-Saharan Africa, where he had some friends working in Malawi. They offered their recommendations, and after evaluating the business environment, Ning decided make the shift there in 2009.

Earlier, Ning had developed friendships with people in the advertising sector. He brought some of them to Malawi and set up a company in which he held the majority share.

The company helped local companies with artistic designs, printing and graphics. As that first African business grew, Ning began to think of expanding the business to other countries on the continent.

He did some market surveys in surrounding countries, including Zambia and Tanzania. Eventually, in 2013, he chose to stay in Mozambique, as it was an election year. He saw business opportunities in the country and set up his second advertising company there.

"I am not a specialist in design," Ning says. "But I am a businessman and quick at finding business opportunities.

"It is just like appreciating music even though you may not necessarily have an ear for it. It does not matter whether, or how much, you know about art design and printing."

He invited the best local designers and professionals at high wages to ensure quality, he says.

With his previous experience and understanding of the African market, Ning moved into Kenya in 2015. There he found a more mature market than in Malawi and Mozambique.

"There are more Chinese companies, state-owned or private, in Kenya than in the other two countries," he says. "I can form a new business mode by serving the Chinese companies in Kenya, and it is easy to understand the need of these companies as we speak the same language."

In Malawi and Mozambique, the main clients were local companies. In Kenya, the majority of clients are Chinese.

"I have not been very much involved in the local community in Kenya in terms of my business," he said. "But this will be a great potential market for me."

His business in Kenya ranges from airbrushing, roll screen stands, art design, printing, decoration and website design.

"I am here to make it convenient for the clients to express what they want to," he says. "It is a kind of work that combines innovation and creation.

"I have a dream to create more advertising companies in other African countries - all under the same name and with the logo of China Super Scope Media Limited.

"My company is not big, but I employ a dozen local people in Kenya. I wish to help the locals to improve their life with my small contributions."

panzhongming@chinadaily.com.cn