A Chinese businessman pulls a cart loaded with imported goods with his Angolan worker at the Chinese market in Luanda, Angola. Photo: CFP

The language barrier has been one of the key inhibitors to the growth of China-Africa cooperation. Out of the communication breakdown between Chinese investors and locals, misunderstandings have been rife, with both parties looking at each other with suspicion. At the center of many misunderstandings is the perception that the Chinese are in Africa to exploit the continent's resources.

In some instances, the Chinese have also been accused by local communities for using what they see as harsh language while giving instructions to the workers.

"Yet this is not entirely true. Different languages have different tones of instruction. Some are used to shouting, without actually meaning they are angry," saids Luke Ngome, a business analyst in Nairobi. "When the Chinese managers struggle around with their language to give instruction to the local workers, it is seen as harsh because of the tone. That is why both parties need to not only learn each other's language but also to appreciate their different cultures."

Swahili lessons

Faced with these challenges, many businessmen and investors have now opted to learn local languages. This, they say, will create a harmonious relationship with the locals particularly in the workplace. Most importantly, the Chinese see this as a way of increasing their bargaining power with the locals besides beating emerging competition for opportunities, especially the Japanese and Indian who have in the recent past shown huge appetite for investments and trade with African countries.

In no other place has this development been as conspicuous as in East Africa. Many Chinese are undergoing Swahili language lessons in local universities, language training centers as well as in private tuition. Big companies like China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) have also been hiring Chinese employees particularly those with a solid understanding of the local African languages. This, according to analysts, has seen graduates of one of China's biggest media universities, Communication University of China (CUC) benefit.

Indeed, CUC Swahili lecturer Maria said Swahili has proven to be one of the most popular African languages in China. She said it is through the understanding of some of the African languages like Swahili (spoken mainly in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania) and Hausa (spoken in Nigeria) that China is managing to successfully integrate with Africans.

"The Swahili department at the CUC is almost as old as the China-Africa friendship. It started way back in 1960, and so far, most of our students have ventured out of China into Africa, particularly in East African countries where they help in the running of Chinese businesses," said Maria.

One of the Chinese freshmen studying Swahili at CUC identified only as Pendo (a Swahili name for Love) said she grew fond of the language due to the fact that it is one of the most widely-spoken languages in Africa. "By the fact that China's friendship with Africa is growing, I thought Swahili will give me an edge over other students in the job market. I look forward to visiting Tanzania in my third year so that I can perfect what I would have learnt then. Upon my graduation, I would love to work in Africa so that I can exploit this local language that I am learning," she said.

Despite their enthusiasm in celebrating African languages, Maria said the biggest challenge facing their Swahili students is the lack of a place beyond lecture halls where the Chinese students can practice the language. "This is why we are now making use of our students from Kenya and Tanzania to freely interact with our Swahili students so that they can hone their Swahili speaking skills," she said.

Maria said the uptake of Swahili by the Chinese people has been significant because it is a relatively easy international language to learn. She said unlike other languages, Swahili words are written the way they are pronounced and vice-versa.

Beating their counterparts 

A CRBC manager who is working on the construction of the Standard Gauge Railway that is expected to link Nairobi and the coastal city of Mombasa said he had been learning Swahili and a bit of the Maasai language so as to boost his interaction with his workmates. "Mimi ninajua kusema asante, kuja hapa, habari yako na pia twende kazini. Ninajifundisha maneno mengine kila siku," Huang said in Swahili, which means, "I know how to say 'thank you,' 'come here,' 'how are you' and 'let's go to work.' I am learning new words everyday after work."

Huang said since he started learning Swahili, local workers have been very receptive, and always feel part of the team while at work. "Initially they would feel isolated when we speak Chinese. Some would even think we are gossiping them yet that was not necessarily the case," he said.

Analysts say by the Chinese learning local languages, they stand a big chance in beating their Asian counterparts for opportunities in African countries. "However, this may not be necessarily a smooth ride for them. Most Indians in Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya speak Swahili fluently as well. Perhaps the edge the Chinese have is that they are focused on resource-heavy sectors while the Indians are more into the services sectors," said Ngome.

Consumer Federation of Kenya Secretary General Stephen Mutoro said the Chinese have started on the right footing. Swahili, he said, would enable them to penetrate almost all areas in East Africa and South African countries such as Mozambique and Zambia. "But they should not end there. Chinese should also learn local languages such as Kikuyu, Luhya, Kinyarwanda, Buganda, Kalenjin, among others. This is because they are in Africa for the foreseeable future," said Mutoro.

The author is a journalist on African issues based in Nairobi, Kenya. mkapchanga@gmail.com