Sun said in a letter of apology that he had the "profound respect and humility" to communicate with Caixin, and would like to have a "transparent, unreserved conversation" with Caixin to talk about the business of his company and industry development.

"We maintain humility by actively listening to overseas viewpoints through these offshore teams while deepening contextual connections locally," Shao said.

Mwendwa said that his seven years' experience in selling smartphones in Nairobi's central business district has been a case study in grit, resilience, patience and humility.