James Kimonyo, Rwandan Ambassador to China, is becoming something of an online star. He has found a new way to take diplomacy to the people by selling some of his country's best known products, including coffee and chili sauce, through livestreaming.

This January he made his livestreaming debut when he teamed up with a well-known Chinese livestreaming host on Taobao Live, China's premier online sales portal, introducing Rwandan coffee beans to Chinese netizens. Then in May, during a joint livestreaming session with Vera Songwe, Under-Secretary General of the UN, he sold 3,000 bags of packaged coffee beans in just one minute.

"It's so fascinating to see how people come rushing to buy the products. It is a good opportunity to reach as many consumers as possible," Kimonyo told ChinAfrica.

On August 13 Kimonyo took part in a live show organized by China's Hannan TV and China Foundation for Peace and Development, themed African Specialties. He was joined by ambassadors to China from Benin, Ethiopia and Tanzania, along with the Minister Counselor of Economic Affairs at the South African Embassy to China, to promote their countries' specialty products online.

Closer to customers

As a coffee lover, Xiang Qing, a Beijing resident, heard about the African Specialities show through a notice published by Zhang Mofan, a Chinese blogger/broadcaster with more than 10 million followers on micro-blogging platform Weibo.

I didn't want to miss the show as it is unique to see African ambassadors introduce their products personally," Xiang told ChinAfrica.

Seeing the ambassadors broadcasting has helped reassure online customers that the special products on sale are genuine.

Livestreaming has become a mainstream activity in China. It basically involves broadcasters, including online celebrities and influencers, who are seen as credible, introducing products or services to potential buyers.

In the past customers used to move slowly down the path from awareness, to interest, to purchase, said Yusuf Timol, Minister Counselor of Economic Affairs at the South African Embassy to China. "Through livestreaming, the process has gotten much shorter," he told ChinAfrica. "It allows us to try and promote our products and services without leaving our cities and countries."

During the pandemic, livestreaming gained momentum in China, showcasing online retail to attract millions of people confined at home. Sales through the Internet have played a key role in reviving the sluggish economy.

"Given the circumstance we are in the COVID-19 epidemic, people can't move easily. So it is the best [opportunity] and a new normal. We should all make use of this good opportunity," Teshome Toga, Ethiopian Ambassador to China, told ChinAfrica. According to him, the Internet has made the market flat, and livestreaming can help products reach more potential customers.

Benefiting farmers

"Three, two, one, the link is live!"

Together with broadcaster Zhang Mofan, Kimonyo was counted down for the sale of chili sauce products on Taobao.

"From my experience, every time we market and sell products through livestreaming on Taobao, within minutes everything is sold out," he told ChinAfrica.

Kimonyo was right. During the African Specialties promotional show, within two hours, some 2.6 million viewers had logged on.

The ambassador said he appreciated the marketing method because it's not only about the products being sold, but also about the farmers who benefit from it.

Coffee is the main product of Rwanda. The country has more than 33,000 hectares of coffee plantations with over half a million people working on them. Grown in naturally enriched volcanic soil at high altitude, coffee beans sold by Rwandan farmers are known for their delicious flavor and addictive aroma.

However, there has been a lot of anxiety about the coffee market among farmers in Rwanda following the measures put in place to combat COVID-19. Kimonyo said the African Specialties show helped to address their stress and restore hope. Being able to market coffee to millions of customers live online removes the barrier between farmers and final consumers.

The ambassador believed the growth of cross-border e-commerce would help African countries fight over-reliance on commodities whose prices are prone to market dynamics to generate jobs, help check poverty and ultimately translate to economic growth.

A lesson to learn

Africa has a large number of Internet users and boasts a huge market potential, while China, which has accumulated experience in cultivating e-commerce markets, digital payment and logistics management, could help African countries build an e-commerce ecological system, according to Mark Kapchanga, a researcher and expert on China-Africa cooperation based in Kenya.

The number of Internet users in Africa has hit 465 million and is expected to reach 495 million by 2025. Meanwhile, the market scale of e-commerce in Africa is expected to reach $34.7 billion by 2024, with an average annual growth rate of 17.1 percent, according to Statista, a German online statistics portal.

In fact, China and Africa cooperation in e-commerce is already ongoing. Kilimall, a leading online shopping mall in Africa set up by Chinese founders, has attracted thousands of suppliers. While bringing Chinese products to African consumers, the platform has also introduced African goods, such as coffee beans and red wine, to Chinese consumers.

Besides, Rwanda has seen great benefits since joining the Electronic World Trade Platform (eWTP) initiative launched by Alibaba in October 2018. Since the launch of the eWTP, Rwanda's coffee and tourism products have been sold on Alibaba's e-commerce platforms.

Additionally, young talents from Rwanda are being trained in the Alibaba Business School to understand and learn cross-border e-commerce operation. The Rwandan students are to change how people back in their home country view e-commerce and digital payments, as well as to create a better environment to facilitate the growth of the digital economy in Rwanda.

"E-commerce is a different method, different channel. I'm sure it's going to be difficult in the beginning, but once all the teething problems out of the way, I'm sure we'll see some results," Yusuf told ChinAfrica. "It's a learning process."

(Printed Edition Title: Expanding Horizons )

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