Mistrust and trust-making in the distribution and consumption of Chinese-manufactured electronics in Ghana

Although trust is central to almost all human interactions, it is generally taken for granted and assumed that every party will diligently play its part. Key to this neglect is the tendency to deal with people with whom we share strong social ties. Trust however becomes a critical subject when one must deal with a third party or discredited brand. Using made-in-China brands in Ghana as a case study this paper discusses trust and the making of trust between Ghanaian distributors and consumers of made-in-China electronics to highlight how the taken-for-granted phenomenon of trust is “resurrected” in the distribution and consumption of made-in-China products because of the uncertainties involved in having to navigate the historical and normative complexities of the made in China brand. Also discussed is how the absence of trust is skillfully resolved by the distributor and consumer to enhance their various interest through trust-making measures. Whilst the distributors employ strategies such as engaging celebrities as brand ambassadors, sponsoring events/products and entering a partnership with established and strong goodwill brands. Similarly, the consumer adopts measures such as seeking enhanced product warranty and after-sales services. This paper combines various aspects of our ethnographic research on Africa- China over a period of ten years