A Chinese couple created a successful diaper business by recognizing the demand for affordable hygiene products in Africa. His company, Sunda International, is now one of the top companies on the continent. It earns approximately $450 million annually.
A Chinese couple has captured the world’s attention by turning a simple business idea into a multimillion-dollar success story in Africa. According to the report of South China Morning Post, Shen Yanchang and his wife Yang Yanjuan have earned crores by selling diapers in the African continent. His journey is being praised a lot.
Shen, who worked as a procurement manager in Nigeria after graduating from Harbin Engineering University, initially exported essential goods and construction materials from China to Africa. His wife, Yang, was an engineering associate professor before going into business. In 2000, the couple started a small trading company in Guangzhou. He focused on exporting everyday essentials to African markets.
Getting an order worth US$200,000 in Nigeria was the first major turning point in his business. Recognizing the growing needs of customers, he expanded his operations, established Sunda International Group and opened his first overseas branch in Ghana.
While there, she noticed a huge demand for affordable menstrual products. Many local women used traditional materials such as cloth and leaves to clean themselves during periods. Also, baby diapers were also rarely available. The couple saw this as an opportunity to expand their business and improve the living standards of people and decided to focus on manufacturing and selling diapers.
Shen Yanchang and his wife Yang Yanjuan have an annual income of $450 million.
In response to Africa’s rapidly growing population, which is expected to reach approximately 2.5 billion by 2050, they later introduced adult diapers and other hygiene products. Today, Sunda International has become one of Africa’s top hygiene products companies. The company’s annual revenue is estimated to be around 3.2 billion yuan (about US$450 million – Rs 3,955 crore).
The company is now operating in several African countries, providing jobs to thousands of local people and strengthening trade relations between China and Africa. The spectacular success of this couple is being praised a lot on Chinese social media. Netizens are appreciating his foresight and determination.