Not An Outsider EP9 | Ghana entrepreneur fulfills e-commerce ambition in Hangzhou: Everyone can achieve 'Chinese Dream'

"Before I came to China, my friends around me would often talk about the 'American Dream' as if there was gold everywhere. Now that I have been in China for almost 10 years, I have witnessed the rapid social and economic changes in China, and achieving the 'Chinese Dream' has become our family's biggest goal," said Viktor Owusu, a 38-year-old entrepreneur from Ghana. He founded a small cross-border e-commerce store with his wife that specializes in selling African food products, with annual sales revenue of nearly one million yuan. "If you are a smart and adventurous foreigner, then I highly recommend you to come to China, because this is a land full of opportunities."

Viktor has not been back to his hometown for a long time, not only because of the epidemic, but also because he is "too busy with business". Unlike many other businessmen who sell Chinese goods to Africa, he chooses to "go the other way" and sells African goods to China. He believes that those who can be the first to do so in any industry will always be able to capture a larger market share and are more likely to succeed. "I'm so lucky to enjoy the benefits of the rise of e-commerce in China."

Although his first year's sales revenue was only a few thousand yuan, it rose to 50,000 yuan in the second year and 600,000 yuan in the third year. Last year, it even reached almost one million yuan. "China and African countries are mutually beneficial, and China-Africa trade is growing every year, so I have confidence in my business," Viktor said. This year, he is even considering opening branches in other Asian countries such as Japan or India to expand his business.

If Viktor's booming e-commerce business is one of his major "harvests" in Hangzhou, another more important one is his happy personal life. He got married to his wife Diana from Ukraine, and is raising two adorable children. "The first boy was born in Ukraine, and the second girl was born in Hangzhou," he said with a satisfied smile.

He said proudly that he was one of the first foreigners to apply for a Hangzhou citizen card, with which he could enjoy the same treatment as local citizens in terms of work permit, children's education, medical insurance, housing support, etc.

"To make the Chinese Dream come true, you have to put in the efforts and be down-to-earth." Viktor is confident about the future. He believes that with the growth of his business and his financially savvy lifestyle, he will soon be able to save enough money for a house and further integrate into the community and enjoy the happy life of a "new Hangzhouer".

(With inputs from DotDotNews' reporter in Hangzhou: Ivy Yu)