China’s livestreaming attracts young hopefuls as competition grows

A host promotes a bag during a live streaming session at a warehouse of second-hand luxury ecommerce platform ZZER in Shanghai, China. — Reuters

SHANGHAI: Only a few months after beginning her career as a livestream sales host in January, Zhang Jinyu, 28, a former model and blogger with a master’s degree in fashion management, had clocked hundreds of hours of broadcasting time working with brands such as YSL Beauty.

A day in the life of a livestreaming host like Zhang can include more than six hours of talking almost non-stop to camera, time spent on hair, make-up, and on post-broadcast debriefs.