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Digital trade fairs continue to leverage the potential of China-Africa cooperation

Posted on by darion

© Provided by Xinhua
Sales staff promote African products via live broadcast during the third Global Digital Trade Expo in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang province, Sept. 25, 2024. (Xinhua/Huang Zongzhi)

HANGZHOU, Sept. 29 (Xinhua) — At the bustling “Smart Africa” ​​pavilion during the third Global Digital Trade Expo held in East China’s Zhejiang Province, 27-year-old Mafu, wearing a traditional African-style head scarf, passionately promotes authentic Ethiopian coffee beans via TikTok.

Her inspiring performance caught the attention of many curious viewers. “First of all, I introduce foreign audiences to the origins, unique features and tasting techniques of our products, but most importantly, I highlight discounts and favorable prices,” said a young woman from South Africa.

About four months ago, Mafu came to China to study at Hangzhou Vocational & Technical College. This opportunity came about through a one-year talent training program focusing on cross-border e-commerce.

“I applied as soon as I saw the admission information online and was lucky to be accepted. E-commerce is growing rapidly in South Africa, and here in China I want to learn everything I can about the industry,” she said.

Xie Jijuan, head of the program, noted that more than 200 African students have been trained through partnerships with several Chinese colleges and universities, with more than half of them already involved in the e-commerce sector.

Developing e-commerce talent is considered a key aspect of deepening China-Africa cooperation.

Speaking on the occasion of the African Digital Commerce Day, a special event of the fair, Tang Wenhong, Deputy Minister of Commerce, emphasized that China and Africa have carried out fruitful cooperation in e-commerce and other areas in recent years. He also noted that both sides have created a solid foundation for future cooperation in the digital economy.

Chinese companies have helped African countries build and modernize a 150,000-kilometer communications backbone network that provides Internet access to nearly 700 million users. Meanwhile, Chinese companies have also built mobile payment platforms serving tens of millions of Africans, according to a white paper titled “China and Africa in a New Era: A Partnership of Equals.”

© Provided by Xinhua
This photo, taken on September 25, 2024, shows the China Pavilion at the third Digital World Trade Fair in Hangzhou, eastern China’s Zhejiang Province. (Xinhua/Huang Zongzhi)

Many industry insiders believe that the spread of digital technologies, the growth of e-commerce and the development of digital infrastructure have combined to create unparalleled economic growth opportunities in Africa.

Data from Statista, a global data and business intelligence platform, shows that the African e-commerce industry is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 24.7 percent over the past seven years, with annual revenue expected to exceed US$42 billion . dollars in 2024, compared to only $7.7 billion in 2017.

Moreover, according to the latest report by the Global System for Mobile Communications, by 2030, at least 88 percent of Africans will own a smartphone, with the use of 4G services reaching 50 percent and 5G increasing to 17 percent.

In Uganda, digital commerce has opened the door for thousands of small and medium-sized enterprises, entrepreneurs and business leaders to access international markets.

“The development of cross-border e-commerce between China and Africa has enabled Ugandan products such as coffee, tea and handicrafts to enter the Chinese market, and has also created more employment opportunities and space for us to grow,” said Oliver Wonekha, Uganda’s ambassador to China, who believe that digital trade will be the most important element of China-Africa cooperation in the future.

On the African Digital Trade Day, several China-Africa cooperation agreements were signed, including projects to build a China-Africa digital trade platform, a plan to co-create media cooperation between China and Africa, and an energy brand export initiative.

“Madagascar is at a critical stage in its digital transformation, and we are keen to work with Chinese companies to learn from China’s advanced experience in the digital economy,” said Jean Louis Robinson, Madagascar’s ambassador to China.

He added that there is huge potential and space for cooperation between China and Africa, especially in e-commerce, digital infrastructure and technological innovation.

The third Global Digital Trade Expo, titled “Digital Trade, Global Access”, was held on September 25-29 in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. The event is currently China’s only national-level digital commerce thematic exhibition. China’s digital industry has experienced significant growth in recent years, recording total revenues of 32.5 trillion yuan (about 4.6 trillion US dollars) in 2023.