Across Three Countries, Deeper Roots: A Market Journey from Egypt to East Africa

Our team recently completed a business trip spanning three regions: Egypt, the Middle East and East Africa. From customer visits in North Africa to industry exchanges at the Middle East Coatings Show and on-site visits to factories in East Africa, the trip not only resolved a number of outstanding matters but also opened up new thinking, at a strategic level, for the deeper development of the company's overseas markets.

It was a journey that set out with questions and came back with answers. Three countries, three kinds of market, three logics of cooperation: we measured the market on foot and opened doors through conversation.

Egypt: finding islands of cooperation in a red ocean of prices

Egypt was the first stop. Overall, the Egyptian market is extremely price-sensitive: competition is fierce, local prices are low and competing on price alone is no way to build an advantage. At the same time, the willingness to cooperate is real, and several customers made clear their intention to deepen their relationship with us.

During the visit we settled some legacy issues and called on a number of new and long-standing customers. The core takeaway: there is opportunity in Egypt, but it calls for a more flexible model of cooperation. Working with a local partner, for example, and drawing on its customs clearance, warehousing and local sales capacity to share resources and risk is a path worth exploring. A related joint venture is already in progress. Beyond price, trust and flexibility are the keys that open the door.

Middle East Coatings Show: a smaller fair, but deeper exchanges that count

This edition of the Middle East Coatings Show was smaller than the last. Chinese exhibitors accounted for about 30% of the total, with fewer returning exhibitors and more new ones: the industry is going through a changing of the guard.

For us, however, the value of a show lies not in its size but in in-depth exchanges with key customers. We held detailed talks with an important partner responsible for distribution in Africa and explored the possibility of entering the African market through its channels. This gives us an efficient entry point for our next steps on the continent: sailing on a partner's ship is faster than going it alone.

East Africa: huge growth potential, and an upfront investment that takes strategic resolve

Tanzania: Chinese smart manufacturing takes root in Africa

What impressed us most on this trip was a new coatings plant in Tanzania.

The moment we walked into the workshop, we almost felt we were inside an advanced factory back home. From feeding at the top level to packaging at the bottom, the entire line runs on Chinese central control technology, with the whole process automated. The warehouse is intelligent too: the system schedules and manages stock automatically, with precision and an efficiency well beyond our expectations.

In that moment we felt a pride that is hard to put into words. Not so long ago, the image of an "African factory" in our minds was one of labor-intensive work and rudimentary equipment. The plant in front of us overturned that picture completely. Chinese intelligent innovation has genuinely been put to work abroad and is taking root and bearing fruit on African soil. This is more than a factory: it is a signal that "Made in China" is becoming "intelligently made in China", and that our technology, our standards and our solutions are being seen and recognized by the world.

In packaging and printing we also saw real demand for products such as tin-free steel sheet and can coatings. Customers there currently use Chinese suppliers, which shows that Chinese manufacturing has an opening in this field.

The customer's vertical integration, from resin all the way to coatings and packaging, also left a deep impression on us: a full-chain capability that runs from upstream to the end product.

Kenya: an unsettled market, with opportunity in the gaps

The Kenyan market is even more encouraging. With large-scale infrastructure construction under way, demand for decorative coatings will keep growing. The market structure has not yet hardened: the leading brands are ahead, but not unassailable. Our partner intends to win the Kenyan market, which will require substantial investment in stock in the coming period. This is a fast-growing market whose competitive landscape is still open, and it deserves the company's support at a strategic level.

Overseas markets are not a question of "whether there is opportunity" but of "how to seize it"

The biggest lesson of the trip: every market has its own character, and no single playbook works everywhere.

Egypt: price-sensitive, so it calls for innovative models of cooperation that draw on local partners.

Middle East: the show is smaller, but key distributors matter more than ever and can be a route into Africa.

East Africa: great growth potential, but a heavy upfront investment that demands strategic resolve and a long-term plan.

At the same time, depth of communication matters more than breadth. Only by talking with customers in depth can we truly understand their needs, difficulties and concerns, and find the right point of entry for cooperation. And legacy issues cannot be left to drag on: a tracking mechanism that makes sure every matter is closed out is key to the healthy, sustained growth of our overseas business.

This three-country trip was both a deepening of business and an exercise in strategic thinking. From North Africa to East Africa, from price-sensitive markets to high-growth ones, we saw challenges, and we saw even more opportunity. Going forward, the company will continue to advance its overseas market strategy step by step, with flexible models of cooperation, in-depth customer communication and firm strategic investment, to secure a stronger position in the global coatings and chemicals value chain.