Farmers dry peppers in Kigali, Rwanda, December 4, 2024. (Photo: Ji Li)
In some supermarkets in downtown Changsha, the capital of the central province of Hunan, consumers can now discover a range of products from Africa: Café d’Ethiopie, South African wine, Egyptian perfume, Rwanda spicy sauce or Macadamia in Kenya.
This showcase of African agricultural diversity is the result of reinforced economic cooperation between China and Africa, carried in particular by the Hunan Agricultural Group, active actor in the integration of the Chinese province on the “belt and road” initiative. The group has intensified its partnerships with African countries, based on the construction of the pilot area for Sino-African economic and commercial cooperation in Hunan.
Its subsidiary, the Hunan Grain and Oil Food Import and Export Group, has multiplied initiatives to develop bilateral agricultural trade, in particular through the creation of the company Hunan Xiangfei International Food Development Co., LTD., specialized in agrifood cooperation with Africa.
On the occasion of the 4th economic and commercial exhibition China-Africa, Xiangfei took part in the “online shopping season of quality African products”, launched by the provincial trade department. By combining online sale, livestreaming and physical points of sale, the initiative aims to bring Chinese consumers closer to African agricultural products.
“Previously, our African products were mainly sold on the Internet,” explains Luo Caining, public relations manager at Hunan Dayan Information Technology Co., one of the associated suppliers. “This time, we have taken a stage by distributing them in the neighborhood convenience stores.”
In an ephemeral store recently inaugurated in Changsha, more than 200 African references were available. “We have come on purpose, it is a great opportunity to buy African products near us,” says Li Lixia, a resident of the neighborhood, a bag of coffee and a bottle of handled sauce.
The spicy sauce is one of the flagship products highlighted. Rwanda’s bird eye pepper, an important ingredient in the sauce, has been authorized on the Chinese market since 2021 via the “green corridor” of Changsha customs. Appreciated for its intense and fruity taste, this condiment embodies a model of cooperation based on the triptych production, processing, marketing.
Photo taken on May 14, 2024 showing a store selling purple tea in Nairobi, Kenya. (Photo: Han Xu)
The first Chinese Importer of Rwandan dried peppers, the Hunan Grain and Oil Food Import and Export Group launched an agricultural demonstration project in Gabiro, in northern Rwanda. Fruit of a partnership between the Hunan commercial authorities and the Rwandan government, this project provides for the culture of 100 hectares of peppers, with an extension envisaged at 250 hectares. In high season, nearly 400 local women are mobilized for drying and packaging.
“This very aromatic pepper can be used in sauces or broths for hot pots, very popular in China,” explains Zeng Yangzi, president of Xiangfei and Deputy Managing Director of Hunan Grain and Oil Food Import and Export Group.
The Chinese company also innovates by associating spice and African nuts to create original condiments, popular with consumers in search of new flavors.
Beyond the valuation of products, this cooperation contributes to structuring export standards to China, while integrating African productions into the global logistics chain. “We have brought technical support to the local industry, which has enabled the quality and added value to be increased,” said Ms. Zeng.
Based on flagship projects, Xiangfei has developed an integrated model of agricultural cooperation, based on the concept of “trade first, then project, with a flagship product as a engine, and a closed loop between production and marketing”. An approach that has enabled many African products to access the Chinese market with more visibility and competitiveness.
In addition to peppers, cashew nuts in West Africa, Kenyan tea or Ethiopian coffee have also found their place on Chinese shelves, carried by this common value chain. The model is not limited to creating outlets, but also makes it possible to increase the added value of products, while consolidating bilateral economic relations.
“We have established public warehouses in Kenya, integrated with logistics and financial services, and collaborated with exhibition platforms to promote Hunan products in East Africa,” concludes Ms. Zeng. A strategy that reflects the new ambitions of Sino-African agricultural trade.
