Stability key to growth of manufacturing

China Hyway Group Ltd's staff members work at a construction site in Africa. The company has businesses covering several industries in Mozambique, Angola, Guinea and South Sudan. Provided to China Daily

Chinese businessman fulfills a dream by building infrastructure in Africa

Thirty years ago, Liu Daiwen helped build roads, railways and bridges around China. Now he builds infrastructure in Africa.

Liu, 57, is chairman of China Hyway Group Ltd, a company that has businesses spanning several industries such as construction, mining, manufacturing, furniture and steel in Mozambique, Angola, Guinea and South Sudan. He says the construction business in Africa will continue developing for the next 10 to 20 years.

China-Africa trade moves up

If the shoe fits then wear it

Liu, a former branch head at China Railway Construction Corp Ltd, a well-known State-owned enterprise, says the construction market in Africa is full of potential amid some challenges.

"It took 20 years for China to become quite developed in infrastructure development as China's reform and opening-up policy was implemented. I believe it's the same for Africa," Liu says.

Liu says the current challenge for building up infrastructure in Africa is the instability of the political situation.

"Once, a piece of equipment worth 100 million yuan ($16.48 million) was on its way to South Sudan for an infrastructure project, but because of unrest at the site we had to move it," Liu says.

"But I believe the situation will become better and infrastructure will still need to get developed anyway."

Entering the African market in 2008, Hyway Group has finished the Mocamedes Railway project, one of the three main railway lines in Angola, which begins at Namibe Harbor in the Atlantic and reaches Menongue in the east. It has total length of 1,003 kilometers and 56 stations.

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