The annual China International Import Expo is gradually evolving into a year-round trade as proved by two participating African businesspeople.

Soon after the ninth CIIE which concluded on Nov 10, at the Hongqiao Import Commodity Exhibition and Trading Center in Minhang district, Shanghai, the center is helping South African products reach Chinese consumers beyond the annual event.

For Heidi, a small-town promoter from South Africa, the nearly 24-hour flight was well worth it. Elsewhere at the expo, Allen, a woodcarver from Tanzania, was chatting with Chinese customers in fluent Mandarin.

Representatives from southern and eastern Africa gathered at the ninth CIIE to bring African goods closer to the Chinese market.

Heidi, from Eastern Cape Province, South Africa, attended the CIIE for the fifth time. As a marketing and information officer for Kouga Local Municipality, she brought mohair scarves, gin, and natural skincare products made by local small-scale producers. Heidi calls these small-town goods.

Her story shows how the Hongqiao platform turns exhibition opportunities into year-round trade. Shanghai Kangjian Import and Export Co Ltd has used a bonded channel there that lets exhibitors sell via cross-border e-commerce, introducing coffee, dried fruits, tea, mohair, and other South African products to Shanghai and turning exhibits into commodities.

Screens in the Tanzania pavilion showcased the East Africa Commercial & Logistics Industrial Park Comprehensive Service Cooperation Zone. The zone offers commodity trading, exhibitions, supply chain finance, and customs and logistics services. Its core project, the East Africa Commercial and Logistics Center, had attracted about 1,300 businesses and merchants by the time it opened in August 2025.

At the Tanzania pavilion, black wood carvings of zebras, giraffes, and elephants drew attention. All were crafted by Allen and his family. This was Allen's second time attending the CIIE. In his view, the expo is a good opportunity to showcase Tanzanian culture and specialty products, allowing Chinese visitors to experience Africa's natural resources and cultural traditions up close.

Behind their stories lies a shift from one-off exhibition displays to year-round market access. China-Africa economic cooperation is not a one-way flow but a two-way journey built on modern logistics, supply-chain services, and market-oriented mechanisms.

South African small-town producers seek access to the Chinese market through the CIIE, while Chinese companies build trade and logistics platforms in East Africa to help local products reach global markets and bring Chinese goods into African markets. As Allen said, China and Africa will always be good friends.

Source: Minhang District Media Center