A worker operates the sorting machine at the e-commerce logistics hub in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Feb. 29, 2024. The Ethiopian Airlines has inaugurated a new e-commerce logistics hub in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, to meet the surging demands of online shoppers and retailers. Built by China National Aero-Technology International Engineering Cooperation, the e-commerce logistics hub covers about 15,000 square meters and has a capacity to handle 150,000 tonnes of goods annually.(Photo: Xinhua)

The training of African e-commerce talent is an important starting point for promoting the development of China-Africa cross-border e-commerce, which will inject impetus into trade. 

Such efforts will also promote digital cooperation and achieve win-win and pragmatic results in the sector.

"We are encouraging our people to get trained in e-commerce skills in China. Alibaba has delivered some online training for young people in Africa," Plenipotentiary Minister of the Ethiopian Embassy in China Munteha Jemal told the Global Times.

Ilissa, a farmer from Burkina Faso, came to China to study agricultural technology and e-commerce, and went back to his hometown in 2021 to start an e-commerce business selling agricultural products worldwide.

"Through Chinese e-commerce platforms, I not only sell products to China but also the whole world, and surprisingly, to other African countries," Ilissa told the Global Times.

Some Chinese e-commerce platforms have offered training courses for African farmers and producers.

For example, Alibaba's Digital County Project has helped Ethiopian coffee farmers create new packaging and brand stories for their products, while having optimized the supply chain and online marketing planning. 

Digital upgrading and transformation have greatly increased the added value of African products, while e-commerce has reduced costs in intermediary areas such as logistics and sales, which have helped to increase African farmers' incomes, industry insiders said.

For example, Ethiopian coffee beans are sold at prices three times higher after digital promotions. However, the prices are still affordable as distribution links have been shortened to reduce costs. 

In another example, Rwandan coffee farmers earn $4 more through e-commerce for every kilogram of beans they sell, according to media reports.

China has shared its development experience in e-payments and smart logistics, and the country helped Ethiopia, South Africa, Cote d'Ivoire and other countries build e-commerce ecosystems.

Under such frameworks as the FOCAC, China has actively supported Africa to narrow the digital divide, helped Africa achieve a digital transformation and benefited local people.