"Flights to Africa are really popular, and there are full of opportunities!" Ma Bijun, deputy general manager of Hunan Erkang Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., has been busy preparing to open a pharmaceutical factory in Tanzania within the year. He often travels between Central Africa and often marvels at the large passenger flow of flights. In his opinion, the popularity of flight tickets and huge passenger flow are a true portrayal of the rising popularity of China-Africa economic and trade exchanges. 

According to statistics, since the launch of China Southern Airlines' Guangzhou-Changsha-Nairobi route in 2019, it has carried a total of 227,000 passengers, and currently maintains stable operation of three flights per week. In order to meet the passenger demand during the peak tourist season, China Southern Airlines plans to add direct flights to Nairobi-Guangzhou during the upcoming summer. China-Africa bilateral economic and trade cooperation is in a strong momentum and the areas are constantly expanding. In just 3 days, Kenya’s coffee beans can take a direct flight to Changsha, bringing its unique flavor to the African Coffee Trading Center in Gaoqiao Market, Hunan. 

As an "old friend" in the field of agricultural products, the pace of African coffee products coming to China has accelerated. In the first quarter of this year, China's coffee imports from Africa increased by 70.4% year-on-year. At the same time, at the African Coffee Trading Center in Gaoqiao Market, Changsha City, a coffee shop run by Xiaokazhu Coffee Co., Ltd. carefully creates coffee beans from many African countries such as Ethiopia and Kenya into more than 30 beverages. "Now, we communicate directly with African coffee estate owners through online trading platforms to simplify the transaction process and reduce the overall costs." Jing Jianhua, head of Xiaokazhu Coffee Co., Ltd., said that the coffee market situation has been very good in recent years. 

The company's imports of raw coffee beans from Africa last year increased by 30% year-on-year. In addition to "old friends", there are also "new faces", and a touch of green has transformed China-Africa economic and trade exchanges into new ways. As Africa continues to promote green transformation, in 2023, China's exports of new energy vehicles, lithium batteries and photovoltaic products to Africa increased significantly by 291%, 109%, and 57% year-on-year. Last year, Sulahat, from Senegal, established a new energy online ride-hailing company in Dakar. "Seeing new energy vehicles running all over the streets of China, I also look forward to seeing similar scenarios in my country." He believes that introducing new energy vehicles can not only provide jobs, reduce operating costs, but also be more environmentally friendly. Sulahat has been living and doing business in Yiwu for more than 20 years. 

Since he first purchased hardware products in Yiwu, he has discovered the "Made in China" with high quality and low price, and has also witnessed the increasing frequent China-Africa economic and trade exchanges. When you walk into the exhibition hall of the African trading company established by Sulahat in Yiwu, there are endless African merchants, and the booth displays hundreds of products, including new energy products such as solar photovoltaic panels and solar street lights, as well as hardware, daily necessities, household appliances, etc. 

In the first year, twenty or thirty containers were sent to Africa, and now there are more than 4,000. Sulahart is full of confidence in future development, "this number will continue to grow." The "new trend" of China's e-commerce model is also blowing to the African continent. As the blue ocean of the e-commerce economy, the African market has shown great vitality and potential. "online live streaming has attracted many customers for us, and I can understand their various needs in real time." Nancy Carrie