THE CHINESE IN SENEGAL

AND THE CHALLENGE OF NEW ENTREPRENEURIAL PRACTICES

Abstract

The focus of this project is on approaches to entrepreneurship amongst local traders, particularly experienced bana-bana as a category of transnational traders with strong local roots. The chapter proposes that recent trends in the emergence of new business ventures in West African in general and Senegal in particular are closely linked to innovative models of trading popular amongst Chinese migrants whilst denoting structural effects of Chinese competition on socio-economic arrangements. Attitudinal change amongst Senegalese traders goes beyond strategies of completion or capture for Chinese presence has led, in part, to a decontextualisation of traditional socio-economic roles which has the potential to cause further displacement in pre-existing hierarchical and normative arrangements and ultimately negatively impact resources allocation and redistribution.