By: Dr. Ke Ma In March 2026, I landed in Guangzhou, ready to dive into African fashion businesses. Jet-lagged but eager, I made my way to the wholesale clothing district near Sanyuanli before noon. The area teemed with malls and shops, yet few African faces were visible. African restaurants sat shuttered, their grilles pulled down like sleepy eyelids. A few days later, the picture came into focus. WhatsApp and WeChat have rewired traders’ internal clocks. “I am a night owl,”