Digital trade expo further taps China-Africa cooperation potential

HANGZHOU, Sept. 29 (Xinhua) -- In the bustling "Smart Africa" pavilion at the third Global Digital Trade Expo held in east China's Zhejiang Province, 27-year-old Mafu, wearing a traditional African-style head wrap, was passionately promoting authentic Ethiopian coffee beans via TikTok.

Her inspiring performance captured the attention of many curious onlookers. "I mainly introduce overseas audiences to the origin, unique features and tasting techniques of our products, but most importantly, I highlight the discounts and favorable prices," said the young woman from South Africa.

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

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

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

The cultivation of e-commerce talent is considered a crucial aspect of deepening China-Africa cooperation.

Speaking on African Digital Trade Day, a special event of the expo, Tang Wenhong, assistant minister of commerce, highlighted that China and Africa have conducted fruitful cooperation in e-commerce and other areas in recent years. He also noted how the two sides have established a solid foundation for future collaboration in the digital economy.

Chinese companies have assisted African countries in constructing and upgrading a 150,000-km communications backbone network, which helps provide internet access for nearly 700 million users. Meanwhile, Chinese companies have also built mobile payment platforms serving tens of millions of African people, according to a white paper titled "China and Africa in the New Era: A Partnership of Equals."

Many industry insiders believe that the spread of digital technologies, the ascent of e-commerce and the advancement of digital infrastructure have collectively ushered in unparalleled opportunities for Africa's economic growth.

Data from Statista, a global data and business intelligence platform, indicates 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 the industry's annual revenue projected to exceed 42 billion U.S. dollars in 2024, up from just 7.7 billion dollars in 2017.

Furthermore, by 2030, at least 88 percent of Africans will own a smartphone, with 4G service adoption reaching 50 percent and that of 5G climbing to 17 percent, according to the latest report by the Global System for Mobile Communications.

In Uganda, digital trade has opened doors 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 created more job opportunities and development space for us," said Oliver Wonekha, Uganda's ambassador to China, who believes that digital trade will be a highlight of China-Africa cooperation in the future.

Several China-Africa cooperation agreements were signed on African Digital Trade Day, including projects for building a China-Africa digital trade platform, a co-creation plan for China-Africa media collaboration and an energy brand export initiative.

"Madagascar is at a critical stage of digital transformation, and we are eager to work closely 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 enormous potential and space for cooperation between China and Africa, especially in e-commerce, digital infrastructure and technological innovation.

Themed "Digital Trade, Global Access," the third Global Digital Trade Expo was held from Sept. 25 to 29 in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. The event is currently China's only digital trade themed expo at the national level. China's digital industry has seen robust growth in recent years, reporting a total revenue of 32.5 trillion yuan (about 4.6 trillion U.S. dollars) in 2023.