From plastic toys to high-tech: The changing face of ‘Made in China’

For decades, China’s presence in Kenyan shops was difficult to miss. From plastic toys and cheap electronics to furniture, clothes and household appliances, relatively cheap Chinese products became a familiar feature of everyday life.

But a different generation of Chinese products is increasingly finding its way into Kenya. Solar wafers, industrial machinery, telecommunications equipment and commercial vehicles are changing the nature of what the country buys from the Asian manufacturing giant.