FAQ
Frequently asked questions
The questions African importers ask most, answered directly. MoneyWave publishes a weekly-refreshed directory of China–Africa suppliers scored from public buyer comments, and settles supplier invoices in local currency. We do not vet suppliers, and suppliers cannot pay to be listed.
What is a sourcing agent?
A sourcing agent finds and qualifies Chinese suppliers on your behalf. You describe a product; they identify factories or wholesalers who make it, negotiate in Chinese, arrange samples and manage quality control. They are paid a commission or a flat finding fee on the order.
What is the difference between a sourcing agent and a procurement agent?
A sourcing agent finds the supplier; a procurement agent buys from a supplier you have already chosen — usually a 1688 or Taobao cart — and handles receiving, consolidation and shipping. The sourcing agent carries the “is this factory real” work, which is why it costs more.
How does MoneyWave verify suppliers?
We do not verify them, and we do not claim to. We score public signals — posts, buyer comments, cross-platform footprint, activity and whether a real contact is public — and publish the score with the date we last checked. It is an observation, not vetting, and never an endorsement.
What does the Trust Signal mean?
It is a 1–5 score summarising how much public, corroborating evidence exists about a seller. A 5 means we found a lot of it: an active account, a corroborating profile elsewhere, a public contact and buyers talking about real orders. It is not a measure of honesty.
Is a low Trust Signal a scam warning?
No. A low score usually means thin evidence — a young account, few comments, no second platform — not proven bad behaviour. It means do more of your own checking before you commit money, not that the seller is dishonest.
How do I pay a Chinese supplier in CNY?
Enter the invoice amount, add the supplier’s Chinese bank account details, and pay in with a local bank transfer, mobile money, Apple Pay or Google Pay depending on your country. MoneyWave converts and pays the supplier in yuan. No Alibaba account is needed.
How long does CNY settlement take?
Usually about ten minutes once your payment has cleared. The variable part is your own pay-in: a card or mobile-money payment clears in seconds, while a bank transfer on your side may take longer.
Which African countries can pay in?
Local currency rails — bank transfer and mobile money — are live for Nigeria and Kenya. Buyers in every other market pay in US dollars from a card held in Apple Pay or Google Pay. The supplier is paid in Chinese yuan either way.
Why are some reviews locked?
Harvesting, dating and attributing buyer comments is the expensive part of building this directory, and the $9/month subscription funds the weekly refresh. The Trust Signal, the number of quotes behind it and the last-checked date are free at every tier.
How often is the directory updated?
Weekly. An automated job re-reads the stalest listings first and re-scores them across all 322 listed sellers. Every listing page shows the date it was last checked.
How do I report a listing?
Every listing page carries a report link in the footer. Tell us what is wrong and what the public evidence is; corrections are made against evidence, not on request alone.
Can suppliers pay to be listed?
No — never. Listings are not for sale, placement is not for sale, and no commercial relationship with MoneyWave can raise a score, remove a concern quote or change the sort order. There is no sponsored placement anywhere in the directory.