Business
17:46, 21-Jul-2017
Jack Ma unveils exchange program for Africans
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Chinese entrepreneur Jack Ma announced plans to send 2,500 young Africans to China on an exchange program to acquire entrepreneurial skills.
Ma made the announcement during a speech at the University of Nairobi in Kenya, before heading to Rwanda for YouthConnekt Africa Summit on Thursday.
Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta also held talks the same day with Jack Ma to discuss ways of empowering young people through entrepreneurship.
Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta speaks during the opening ceremony on day one of the IAAF U18 World Championships at the Kasarani Stadium on July 12, 2017 in Nairobi, Kenya. /VCG Photo
Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta speaks during the opening ceremony on day one of the IAAF U18 World Championships at the Kasarani Stadium on July 12, 2017 in Nairobi, Kenya. /VCG Photo
A statement from the presidency released after the meeting in Nairobi said Ma and the Kenyan leader discussed topics with focus on young people in trade and innovation.
"They discussed how to cooperate in supporting small businesses and the youth to play a bigger role in the country's economy," the statement said.
During the talks, Ma said Kenya can create more opportunities for trade through the use of e-commerce and that the country has the capacity to achieve that goal.
Alibaba executive chairman Jack Ma talks to young entrepreneurs and students at the University of Nairobi in Nairobi, Kenya, July 20, 2017. /VCG Photo
Alibaba executive chairman Jack Ma talks to young entrepreneurs and students at the University of Nairobi in Nairobi, Kenya, July 20, 2017. /VCG Photo
The business mogul is accompanied by 38 others from the Chinese Chamber of Commerce who are in the country in search of multi-billion-dollar business opportunities with the government as well as local business people.
President Kenyatta said the Chinese businessman is an inspiration for millions of young people in Africa and especially in Kenya where the young generation has been setting global trends in innovation and technology.
Ma later joined the YouthConnekt Africa Summit in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda. The three-day summit opened on Wednesday is considered to be the biggest tech event in Africa, focusing on youth entrepreneurship and exploration of opportunities on the Continent.
(With inputs from Xinhua)
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