Jack Ma Appears in Africa, Holds Talks with President of Rwanda

It is reported that Jack Ma's visit to Africa this time is primarily to participate in the "Africa Business Heroes" event. Yahoo co-founder Jerry Yang also appeared together and was specially received by Kagame.

The "Africa Business Heroes" event is a flagship entrepreneurship program in Africa initiated by the Jack Ma Foundation and supported by Alibaba. This is not a spur-of-the-moment tour; behind this event, which costs nearly ten million dollars, lies a commitment that has been upheld for years. The Jack Ma Foundation, in collaboration with Alibaba, aims not only to spotlight African entrepreneurs but also to provide tangible financial support. The top ten finalists alone will share a prize pool of $1.5 million.

However, compared to the signals sent by Jack Ma and Jerry Yang on the ground, this funding might only be the tip of the iceberg.

As early as seven years ago, Jack Ma, who holds the title of Special Advisor to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, had already set foot on this continent. Faced with this untapped market, Ma's first reaction was not to promote Chinese goods. He spoke plainly in his speech: driven by Jack Ma and Alibaba, Rwandan agricultural products such as coffee and chili peppers have entered the Chinese market through e-commerce platforms in recent years.

Ma once reflected in an interview: "Before going to Africa, my impression of the continent was one of backwardness and poverty. But after visiting, I was deeply moved. Because we only imagine Africa, only see it on TV or in newspapers."

He also stated that he believes it is essential to travel and see more of the world. Every country and region has something uniquely remarkable. Only by respecting the diverse cultures of different nations can we find true meaning.