[ad_1]
From 19 to 29 June, 29 African entrepreneurs from 11 countries participated in a flagship program organized by Alibaba Business School and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The students were participating in an intensive Fellowship eFounders program that is part of a commitment made by Jack Ma, Alibaba Executive Chairman and UNCTAD's Special Advisor for Young Entrepreneurs and Small Businesses. The goal? To empower 1,000 entrepreneurs from developing countries in five years. Two hundred of these entrepreneurs will come from Africa, demonstrating Ma's personal commitment to supporting entrepreneurs on the African continent and enabling them to succeed in the digital world.
CNBC Africa spoke about the eFounders Initiative and Alibaba's vision for Africa with Brian Wong, Vice President of Globalization Initiatives at Alibaba. Wong is also Executive Director of the Alibaba Global Leadership Academy (AGLA).
What are the projects of Alibaba Group for Africa?
When Jack Ma visited Africa in 2017, he saw a continent facing the same challenges Alibaba had managed to overcome the past 20 years in China. As UNCTAD's Special Adviser, Jack acknowledged that empowering young entrepreneurs with ideas and practical knowledge from the most innovative Chinese companies could accelerate the development of inclusive e-commerce platforms and offer African markets different approach to help entrepreneurs, small businesses and young people. Women and more, all with the goal of providing access to prosperity for all.
Like other regions outside China, Alibaba 's expansion strategy is inclusive development. and understand local markets. By partnering with local platforms in Africa and elsewhere, we believe we can better enable SMEs and create a more inclusive global trading network.
What is he currently doing in Africa?
Some Alibaba services are available in Africa (Alibaba Cloud, for example) but as mentioned above, our goal is to enable local partners to develop their own inclusive ecosystems.
In which regions does it operate?
Alibaba Cloud, Alibaba.com and AliExpress are available for all Internet connection in all 54 African countries, while TMall Global facilitates African exports to China across the continent.
What is Alibaba Group doing to help African-based young entrepreneurs succeed in the digital economy?
The eFounders Fellowship at the heart of Alibaba's plan to empower young entrepreneurs in Africa by providing capacity building and access to the ideas and experience of the company's own journey. 39; Alibaba.
The eFounders Fell owship is a two-week course designed for founders of companies in developing countries who operate open platform-based businesses in the areas of e-commerce, logistics, big data and tourism. The program provides direct visibility into e-commerce innovations from China and around the world that have led to growth and a more inclusive development model for all.
Focusing on groundbreaking innovations in China, the program seeks to inspire each participant to think of creative frameworks based on previous expertise and new learnings that can be applied to their own markets. servants.
Participating entrepreneurs are given the tools to improve their own businesses, but as pioneers of the new economy. It is also expected that they will serve as network builders and champions of new ways to approach the trade in their own markets. UNCTAD and Alibaba believe that these entrepreneurs can inspire other powerful ideas around the world by creating powerful communities and empowering their peers.
The course consists of a structured series of clbadroom workshops, lectures, meetings with business leaders, tours and a business hackathon at Alibaba Group headquarters in Hangzhou with site visits in other cities of China.
After graduation, the scholarship holders commit themselves for two years to put their learning into practice.
We also invite partners from the local venture capital ecosystem and incubators to observe during the program and participate in the hackathon part to engage them and work with Alibaba to provide the necessary support to fellows in the next two years
Why is he doing this?
Initiatives in Africa are consistent with Alibaba's original mission. It's a platform-based company whose mission is to facilitate business anywhere by connecting SMEs around the world. Enabling platforms in other countries reinforce this global network and "grow the cake" for all, rather than fighting for the same pie.
The more open companies and platforms there are in the world, the more opportunities there will be for all players (including Alibaba), and more partnerships will be possible in the long run.
How much has he helped so far?
52 African fellows have completed the fellowship and are currently participating, but their platforms are expected to have a multiplier effect on their impact
From which countries?
Our current fellows come from 14 different African countries: Botswana, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, Rwanda, Ethiopia, South Africa, Algeria, Cameroon, Chad, Egypt, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia.
Source link
