This article was published on 驻外之家 (Home Abroad), a popular WeChat page that focuses on the stories of Chinese expatriates in Africa. This channel provides a more detailed picture of Chinese who came to Africa, stayed in Africa, and, in many instances, eventually became part of the local community.

Home Abroad was originally founded by a team of grassroots contributors in Africa but was recently taken over by a Hunan provincial government agency that’s in charge of fostering China-Africa business relations. So, it’s important to take into account there is some level of government influence in the channels posts, even if it is rather mild. Nonetheless, this might also explain why the channel’s stories mostly highlight the so-called “Africa Dream” where Chinese entrepreneurs overcome adversity to achieve business and personal success on the continent.