Global Trade

Speech: How can China best support Industrial Value Chains and Value Addition in Africa?

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Excellencies, Distinguished guests, Ladies and gentlemen, Director General Wu Peng, Your Excellency Sylla Deputy Director Zhang Jianhua Resident Coordinator Chatterjee I want to express my sincere appreciation, on behalf of Development Reimagined, to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and China Africa Business Council for the warm hospitality, and the kind invitation to not only speak …

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Policy Brief: FOCAC 8 At 1 – What Has Changed in Africa-China Trade so far?

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The 8th Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) was recently held in Dakar, Senegal, bringing together high-level officials from China and African countries to discuss cooperation in various areas, including trade facilitation. A new report by Development Reimagined analyzes the trade facilitation initiatives announced at FOCAC 8 and assesses their potential impact.  The report highlights a …

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Expert View: 3 Key Trends in the Chinese Market for 2023

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1. The removal of the Covid-19 policy and measures to boost consumption means more market opportunities for African business The Chinese government officially announced that it would downgrade its controversial “Zero-Covid Policy” on December 26, 2022. After waves of infections across the country due to the population’s lack of exposure to the virus, the first …

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Expert View: What impact might China’s 20th National Congress have on Africa-China business and trade?

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In October, the world’s attention was firmly placed on China, as the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) commenced. Not only is the CPC among the most important events in China’s political system (it decides the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)) for the next five years, and in turn, …

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Expert view: What is Jing Dong (JD) and why is it relevant for African brands in China?

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What is JD? Founded in 2004, JD is now one China’s biggest and most trusted e-commerce platforms. It was originally founded as a website but is now accessed through its mobile app, as Chinese consumers almost solely use apps to shop online. JD started out as an e-commerce platform for primarily digital devices. Since 2010, …

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Expert view: Recent Trends For African Brands in China and Japan

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Three (3) emerging consumer trends in China and Japan that are boosting demand for African products Last month, we shared our interview with Hara Yukari, which promotes and sells African brands and their products in Japan. Based on Africa Reimagined’s own work supporting African brands access the Chinese market, we were keen to learn about …

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Event: DR partners with Kiliselect to open an “Africa Reimagined” e-commerce store for luxury African brands

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Africa Reimagined is partnering with the Kiliselect e-commerce store in China to open an “Africa Reimagined” section for high-end African brands on the e-commerce store. The partnership between Africa Reimagined and Kiliselect and the onboarding of the high-end African brands onto the e-commerce store will start from late September 2022. Africa Reimagined is a Beijing-based …

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Expert View: What are WeChat Stores and how are they connecting foreign brands with the Chinese market?

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Created by Internet giant Tencent, Wechat is the most popular instant messaging software in China, with 1,200 million users around the world and more than 1,000 million are in China, which means this app exists in almost every mobile phone in China. Wechat is more than an app for communication, it is an ecosystem. With …

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Expert view: ‘Proudly from Africa’ – the project that is putting African brands centre stage of Japan’s luxury market

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“I think of myself as a “Kuroko” – the stagehands who dress in black and support the dolls in Japanese puppet kabuki theatre. My passion is to assist African and Japanese entrepreneurs in achieving their goals and delivering better value, but my role is always behind the scenes, and the spotlight is always where it …

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Interview: Meet Yenae – a high-end African brand that is breaking the Chinese market

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Despite reports on Covid-19-induced economic slowdowns in China, China’s middle-class and their purchasing power is continuing to grow at a rapid rate. Today, China is home to more than 40 percent of the global wealth middle class. Furthermore, these middle-class consumers are continuously looking out for new and unique foreign luxury brands to help them stand …

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African Fashion Week shows that are putting African fashion brands on the map – including in China

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Last week, hundreds of fashion enthusiasts gathered in Kigali for the eagerly awaited Kigali Fashion Week. Known for its thriving fashion industry that has produced fashion brands that are becoming globally renowned such as Haute Baso and Moshions, Rwanda has become an increasingly important hub for African fashion. Kigali Fashion Week, which is held twice …

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The rise of the online promotional shopping festival for African products in China

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Last month, Africa Reimagined took part in a promotional shopping festival for African products in China called the: “4th Brand and Quality Online Shopping Festival and Quality African Products Online Shopping Festival.” From April 28th to May 12th, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), jointly with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, launched the promotional shopping …

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Is Africa-China trade picking up now the Shanghai Covid-19 lockdown is over?

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Last week, authorities in Shanghai finally lifted a two-month-long COVID-19 lockdown that could reportedly reduce China’s overall GDP by 4% this year. Across China as a whole, Covid-19 cases have also reduced to around 70 per day in mainly Beijing and Shanghai resulting in Beijing and other effected cities lifting restrictions. The local and global …

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Everything YOU need to know about China’s e-commerce giant: JD Worldwide

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China’s e-commerce market is the largest in the world. The key to succeeding in the Chinese market is understanding how your brand can make the most of China’s thriving e-commerce sector.  JD-Worldwide is China’s biggest online sales platform for foreign brands. It’s a cross-border e-commerce platform that allows foreign brands to sell directly to Chinese consumers …

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Q&A: Shanghai Port disruptions and impact on African businesses and trade

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Shanghai is known for its fast-paced city life, with the bright lights from the Lujiazui skyline sparkling across the Bund, attracting tourists from within China and the rest of the world. It’s a bustling trade and commercial mega-city, with Shanghai Port being one of the largest – and busiest – ports in China. However, on …

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Africa Reimagined Supports The 4th Brand And Quality Online Shopping Festival And Quality African Products Online Shopping Festival

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Africa Reimagined is supporting a promotional shopping festival for African products in China that is taking place from April 28 till May 12. More than 100,000 African brands will be showcased on over 300 e-commerce platforms during the: “4th Brand and Quality Online Shopping Festival and Quality African Products Online Shopping Festival.” The event is …

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geoGraphical Indications An Opportunity For Africa To Add Value To Exports

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Disclaimer: This article is a revised version of Development Reimagined’s article published in 2020 in the wake of the 2020 UK-Investment Summit Trade between Africa and China rose to a record high in 2022, rising by 35% from 2020 to $254 billion in 2022. However, this was mainly due to an increase in Chinese exports …

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What is FOCAC8 and what does it mean for Africa-China trade and African-based businesses?

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On November 29th, the Africa Reimagined  team (some in Dakar and some in China) were eagerly awaiting President Xi Jinping’s speech at the opening ceremony of the eighth Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC8) in Dakar, Senegal. Why? President Xi’s speech laid out the key agendas that would shape the Africa-China relationship …

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Policy Brief: Mapping the Future Options for China–Africa Trade

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Mapping the Future of China–Africa Relations: How the Continent can Benefit China is Africa’s largest trading partner, and deeper China–Africa engagement has the potential to transform the continent’s trade. The establishment of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is set to add significantly to this evolution, particularly as most of the African countries that have …

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Sino-Africa Cooperation: Corporate Social Responsibility Guide

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Now, more than ever, businesses no matter how large or small, and regardless of their industry, can contribute to sustainable development and the achievement of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Global challenges – ranging from climate, water and food crises, to poverty, conflict and inequality – are in need of solutions that the …

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Designed to Disrupt 2.0. Africa Reimagined at The Second China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo

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Over the past few decades, it has become abundantly clear that ‘aid’ is not the only answer to Africa’s development. Solving economic and social challenges requires more than just financial aid, with an urgent need for structural change – in trade, investment and people. Since the late 2000s, China has become an increasingly prominent development partner …

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Speech: Forum On China-Africa Private Sector Cooperation

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Speech by Development Reimagined CEO, Hannah Ryder, at The Forum on China-Africa Private Sector Cooperation. Recommendations by the Development Reimagined team for future cooperation regarding Africa-China private sector cooperation are provided below. Full Speech Below Distinguished guests, Ministers, Governors, Ambassadors, colleagues and friends, It gives me great pleasure to join you virtually this afternoon, at …

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Introducing Yenaé

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Yenaé is one of the 10 bespoke, sustainable African brands we are representing at the upcoming China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo in Changsha during September 2021. Stay tuned for more information about the other unique African brands from a variety of industries which we will be showcasing https://developmentreimagined.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Yenae-Gemstones.mp4 Introducing Yenaé Yenaé is one of the 10 bespoke, …

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Introducing Artclub and Friends

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ARTCLUB AND FRIENDS is one of the 10 bespoke, sustainable African brands we are representing at the upcoming China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo in Changsha during September 2021. Stay tuned for more information about the other unique African brands from a variety of industries which we will be showcasing Introducing Artclub and Friends Artclub and Friends …

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Can Ugandan Coffee Be the Next “Coffee Success” Story in China?

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The coffee industry in China and Uganda are two very different stories. Here in Beijing, coffee shops are springing up all the time. Indeed, from 2008 to 2018, China’s coffee consumption increased by a whopping 1032%! The younger Chinese generation is the driving force behind this new ‘coffee culture’ demand. With their higher disposable incomes and acute …

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The Pandemic and Geopolitics Have Created New Opportunities For South African Wines in China

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COVID-19 has ravaged agricultural sectors across the world, with lockdowns, falling demand, and supply chain issues resulting in many producers unable to export their products. The South African wine market was thought to be no exception. But unexpectedly, Sino-Australian geopolitical tensions have not only offered a lifeline to South African wine producers, but an opportunity …

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Creating a more more climate-conscious trade system in Africa

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As Development Reimagined, we recognize that the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)  has the potential to create a more climate-conscious trade system across the continent. But more specifically we recognize the need to understand how climate change can impact the AfCFTA.  In order to realise this potential, we are working with United Nations Economic …

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Q&A: Adding Value to Agricultural Exports to China Will be Key to Ethiopia’s Post-COVID Recovery

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The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is among the greatest challenges facing the global community today. While Ethiopia has had an overall successful response to the pandemic with a low rate of infections and deaths, the country has been negatively affected by global trends. According to the World Bank, Ethiopia is forecasted to have zero percent GDP growth in …

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“We cannot only look at China for financing, we need to look at FDI and trade”

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News from Ethiopia in early 2021 from many international media outlets has focused on whether the government will or will not ask for debt suspension or cancellation under a new framework that has been agreed by the Group of 20 countries, including China, in order to help poorer countries deal with COVID19. The framework is …

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Rise of Special Economic Zones in Africa: Can Agricultural Processing Be the Next SEZ Success Story?

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Image: A woman farmer who works in the maize fields on the Canhumbuca Farm in Huambo, Angola © Anita Baumann (World Bank Blogs) “There is no one model of development” is one of the key principles, we, the team at Development Reimagined, try to champion when looking at key issues of economic growth and poverty reduction across …

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Chinese Farmers Are Now Selling More Online. Can “E-Commerce for Agriculture” Also Work in Africa?

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In China, e-commerce is everywhere. Walk down any street in a busy city and you come across “Kuaidi” drivers delivering parcels or advertisements for online “Taobao” shops. But beyond China’s bustling cities, e-commerce has a profound impact on job creation and poverty reduction. With 2020 hailed as the deadline for the eradication of poverty in …

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Q&A: Can Tanzania Resume and Reimagine Agricultural Trade With China in a Post-COVID-19 World?

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(Photo credit: Willem Van Cotthem 2016- Smallholder Sesame farmer in Tanzania) With the COVID-19 crisis disrupting regional and global trade, the Development Reimagined team spoke with H.E Mbelwa Kairuki, Tanzania’s ambassador to China, to get his take on Sino-Tanzania trade and what he and his team are doing to try to respond. DEVELOPMENT REIMAGINED: Ambassador …

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Will Africa’s First Free Trade Agreement With China Actually Help Africa?

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Famed for its natural beauty, surrounded by nothing but the Indian Ocean, tiny in size yet densely populated, understanding how Mauritius managed to become the most developed, diversified, and competitive economy in Africa is worth exploring. Overall, Mauritius’s economic growth is largely due to the government’s sustained commitment to diversifying sources of growth beyond the …

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Fresh or Frozen: Should Kenya and China Renegotiate Their 2019 “Avocado Deal”?

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Whether it is ordering a vegetarian wrap or having a healthy fruit and veggie smoothie, the most sought after ingredient I crave for is avocado! Today, be it Beijing or Shanghai, restaurant chains and smoothie bars, are now catering to their customers’ healthy tastes, delivering on this fruit in different meals and drinks. Whether fresh …

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Is Paying for Fertilizer the Answer To Advancing African Agribusiness? Lessons From China

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Agriculture is an important piece of Africa’s development puzzle. Resource-wise, the continent is blessed with 60% of the world’s arable land, yet only 17% of the world population. Dependency-wise, Africa is largely sustained by agriculture, with two-thirds of the population being employed within the sector. Nonetheless reality-wise, Africa is facing the challenge of food security …

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Q&A: Measuring the Effectiveness of Chinese Agricultural Assistance in Africa

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China has a long history of involvement in agriculture in Africa. As far back as 1959, China offered food grants to Guinea, and especially since the 2007 introduction of China’s “Agriculture Going Out” initiatives – a set of policies that encouraged Chinese agricultural companies to invest in Africa – Chinese agricultural engagement on the continent …

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China’s Agricultural Technology Demonstration Centers: Do They Help Africa’s Food Security Needs?

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As COVID-19 spreads across the African continent, an African Union report has suggested that the outbreak could lead to a serious food security crisis in Africa, with as estimated 2.6% to 7% decline in agricultural production predicted for 2020. The FAO Director-General QU Dongyu has also issued a warning noting “quick, strategic action is needed …

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China’s Coronavirus Slowdown: Which African Economies Will Be Hit Hardest?

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File photo, Kenyan nurse Lucy Kanyi demonstrates to media the facilities and protective equipment to be used to isolate and treat coronavirus cases, at the infectious disease unit of Kenyatta National Hospital in the capital Nairobi, Kenya. Credit: AP Photo/Patrick Ngugi, File COVID-19, first detected in Wuhan, China late last year, has so far spread to …

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Could the Coronavirus lead to a change of Africa-China trade patterns?

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A security personnel wearing protective clothing to help stop the spread of a deadly SARS-like virus which originated in the central city of Wuhan is seen at the entrance of subway station in Beijing on January 28, 2020. Photo Credit: NOEL CELIS / AFP With the recent Coronavirus, 2019-nCoV outbreak thrusting China into the limelight, the …

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Geographical Indications: An Opportunity for Africa to Add Value to Exports

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This week, the United Kingdom held the UK-Africa Investment Summit, whereby the country committed to strengthening its economic partnerships with African nations and announced commitments to support job creation, trade and investment across Africa, including a £20 million programme that will support businesses in developing countries to increase trade with international markets, such as China. …

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african brands at the world economic forums annual meeting of new champions

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During our pilot programme, the brands also attended the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting of New Champions, where they met successful China-based entrepreneurs and international renowned businesses, as well as leaders in innovation, technology and science. Here, they received valuable advice on how to “scale up” to the next level and be ready for a …

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Sustainable Special Economic Zones –A New Drive for Promoting Light Manufacturing in Kenya and Ethiopia

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Over the past 5 years the East African region has been benefiting from increased trade due to growing FDI into the region, driven primarily by new players such as China alongside a vibrant economy. However, this growth has produced a dilemma for both Kenya and Ethiopia who are looking at Light Manufacturing as the next driver …

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What impact is the G20 having on African trade? Exclusive Analysis

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Development Reimagined’s infographic series Trade is always changing. It’s a fact of life. According to economic theory, there will always be some countries or areas that have advantages – cost and efficiency wise – in producing certain goods over others. These countries will export more to other countries, and other countries purchase from them. And …

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Making China’s Markets work for the Poor in African Countries

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The world is currently on its tiptoes, wondering what the outcomes of the US-China trade discussions will be. Many commentators are also concerned about the state of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), created just less than 25 years ago, and whether it will survive this dispute between the world’s two largest economies. At the same …

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Who is looking out for African companies in China?

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This year I got a great, albeit unusual Christmas present. On Christmas Day, my company, Development Reimagined – the first Kenyan Wholly Foreign Owned Enterprise in Beijing – was accepted as a member of the China Africa Business Council (CABC) also based in Beijing. It was a proud moment. To date, the CABC membership has …

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testing the market showcasing african brands at the first china africa import expo

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At Africa Reimagined we firmly believe that ‘aid’ or development cooperation is not the best answer to sustainable development in Africa. Solving economic and social problems in poor and middle-income countries requires structural change – in trade, investment, and people. We believe in a holistic approach – looking at all areas of development, beyond aid, and what …

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Opinion: How can African countries get the most from Belt and Road?

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Living in China, it’s been impossible to miss the country’s first ever Belt and Road Forum (BRF). The forum concluded on Monday, with outputs including a detailed declaration and numerous — over 270 — bilateral deals in areas such as infrastructure, manufacturing and services.As was articulated recently by the head of the UN in China, …

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