The“AfricanEntrepreneurTrainingProgram”isasub-programstartedbyAlibaba,undertheumbrellaofthe“e-founders”program.SuchtraininghasbeenheldtwiceinNovember2017andMarch2018,andnearly100overseasentrepreneurtraineeshaveparticipatedintheprogramtolearnfromthe“Chineseexperience”onthedigitaleconomy.Thistime,29traineesfrom11Africancountriesreceivedthetraining.Amongthem,TaoufikMousselmalfromAlgeriaandBrightChiyundufromZambiastoodoutasstarsofthefuture.
AlibabaDream
“Idon’twanttotalkaboutmypastandpresent,butifyouinterviewme10yearslater,IwillbeasuccessjustlikeJackMa.Giveme10years,andIwillbuildmyownAlibabaGroup,”TaoufikMousselmal,the30-year-oldAlgerianentrepreneursaidconfidently.Mousselmalhasalreadytastedsomebusinesssuccess.“Iambuildinge-commerceteamsinFranceandAlgeria,andwefocusourexpertiseonhomedecor,lifestyle,andluxuryproducts.Inthepastthreeandahalfyears,ourrevenuesreachedUS$3millionannually.”BrightChiyunduattendstheAfricanEntrepreneurTrainingProgramstartedbyAlibaba.In1988,MousselmalwasborntoaFrenchimmigrantfamily,descendantsoftheAlgerianBerbers.Inthe1980s,AlgeriasufferedfrompoliticalinstabilityandMousselmal’sgrandfatherledthewholefamilytoimmigratetoParis.There,hisgrandfatherstartedhisownhomebusiness.Atthebestoftimes,thisfamilybusinessoccupiedawholefloorinaParisshoppingmall.“I’vebeenhelpingmyfamilywithourbusinesssinceIwasateen.At17,Isealeda€5000orderforthebusiness,”hesaid.MaybeitisinthefamilyDNA,butMousselmaldidshowgreatbusinesstalentaswellascourageataratheryoungage.
Hegainedhisbachelor’sdegreeineconomics,andalsostudiedsubjectsoncomputersciences.HoweverhelaterrealizedthattheInterneteconomywouldimpactheavilyontheglobaleconomy,sohedecidedtopursueamaster’sdegreeattheUniversityofWarwickintheUKmajoringininnovationandentrepreneurship.
In2013,Mousselmalsuccessfullyfinishedhispostgraduateprogramonlytobemetwithbadnews:hisfamilybusinessesteeteredontheedgeofbankruptcy,withoverhalfoftheirstoresforcedtoclose.MousselmaheadedbacktoParistohelprevivethebusinessin2014.
Withhisinnovationandcourage,Mousselmalsuggestedthefamilyselltheirhousingproductsonline.“Myfatherisaverytraditionalbusinessman;healmostevictedmewhenheknewaboutmyonlinesellingideas.”Soonenough,thesalesonAmazonaswellashisownonlinestoresawgrowth,eventuallyoutsellinghisfather’sbrickandmortarstore.Afterwitnessingthissuccess,Mousselmal’sfatherhandedoverthereinstothefamilybusinesstohisson.
Shortlythereafter,MousselmalreturnedtoAlgiers,thecapitalofAlgeria,andtherehebuilthisownteam,coveringconsumerservices,e-commerceoperations,ande-commerceservices.“AlgeriahasalowerhumancapitalcostthanEurope,”heexplained.
Withinthreeandahalfyears,hismaisonmaligne,ane-commerceplatformtargetingtheEuropeanmarket,reachedaturnoverofUS$3millionannually,whichisamongthetopthreeearnersofthe29visitingAfricanentrepreneurs.
Duringhistwo-weektraininginChina,MousselmalvisitedAntFinancial,HemaFresh,YiwuIndustrialandCommercialCollege,AlibabaBusinessSchoolandCainiaointelligentwarehouse,pickingupvaluableexperiencealongtheway.
“Foreverynewbranch,HemaFreshwillstudytheconsumer’sprofileswithina3kmradius.Ifwehadusedbigdataforhelpinthepast,myfamily’sstoreswouldnothaveclosed,”saidMousselmal.Thelocationofastoreisvitalandwhilebusinesspeopleinthepastreliedoninstinctratherthanfactualdata,itiscleartoMousselmalhowimportantunderstandingandbeingamongthebuyingpowerofyourcustomerbaseis.Mousselmalsaid,sincehereturnedtoParis,hehaswitnessedtheprocessoftheChinesegoods’enteringintotheEuropeanmarket.“WithsomanyChinesemanufacturerseagertoaccessEuropeanmarkets,whycan’twecooperatewiththemandhelpthemsellmoregoods?”ThisisMousselmal’snewideainspiredbythetrainingsessioninChina.
“Ifpossible,ChinesemanufacturerscanbuildfactoriesinAlgeria;thegeographicaladvantagesandlowcostfore-commerceserviceswillbecometheircompetitiveedgeinEuropeanmarkets.”InthiswayAlgeriacanactasthelaunchpadofAfricatobuilditsownB2Cmarketforce,whileassistingChinesegoods’enteringintoEurope.BrightChiyunduandhisclassmatesposeforapictureafteranAlibabatrainingclass.Mousselmal’s10-yearplantobuildacompanyjustlikeAlibabainAfricadoesn’tseemsofar-fetchedaftertalkingtothisdeterminedyoungentrepreneur.
AlipayAmbitions
IncontrasttoMousselmal,BrightChiyunduhadamuchmorechallengingearly-lifeexperience.Hisfamilywaspoverty-stricken;helosthisparentswhenstillyoung,andhewasbroughtupbyhisclassmate’sparents.ThetoughupbringinghasmadeChiyundutoughandresiliant.
In2015,Chiyundustartedhisowne-paymentcompany“BroadPay”inZambia.HehopedBroadPaycanenablethemajorityofZambianswhodonotownbankcardstoenjoyonlinepaymentservicesjustlikeAlipay.
PayingforgoodsinZambiaisdifficult.“SixtypercentofZambiansdonothavebankcards,socashisstillpopular.Butusingcashislessefficientandmoreinsecure;especiallywhenpeopleneedtotransferbetweendifferentcities,cashjustcan’tdothat.”WiththisinmindBroadPaywasborn.ChiyundusaidhehasworkedatHuawei,thefamousChinesecompanyfortwoseparateperiods.“WhenworkingatHuawei,myChinesecolleaguesusedanappcalledAlipaytotransfermoneytotheirfamilyandfriendsbackinChina.”Theapppiquedhisinterest.“WhatsurprisedmeisthatinChinapeopleactuallyhavegottenridoftheirwallets.Wherevertheygo,theytakeouttheirphones,scantheQRcode,andpaymentisdone.”China’se-paymentsystemsinspiredChiyundu.Withhiscomputerprogrammingbackground,hesoondevelopedBroadPay,whichcanbeusedonasmartphoneoranordinarymobilephone.“Atfirst,Ijustwantedtobringservicestothosewithoutabankcard.ButafterIhavemyapp,anewproblemproppedup:howcanpeoplegetusedtothenewwayofpayingwhentheyaresoaccustomedtousingcash?”BrightfoundthattheruralZambiangrocerystoresweretheanswer.“Ownersofgrocerystoresarefamiliarwithnearbyvillagers,andknowhowtosellgoodstothem,”hesaid.Chiyundunegotiatedwiththesegrocerystoreowners,andgrantedthemacom-missionaftereachBroadPaypayment.
Inthisway,Brightmadedealswithover2,000grocerystoreownersinZambia;theseownersinturn,taughtthevillagerstousethenewapp,creating100,000transactionsviaBroadPay.
BrightalsomanagedtocooperatewithsomeZambianinfrastructurecompaniesandothercommercialentities,sothatZambianscanusetheirphonestopaytheirbills.“Nowwehaveabout1,000institutionsadmittingpaymentsbyBroadPay,”saidBright;BroadPayhasbecometheAlipayinZambia.
“IknewaboutTaobaoandAlipay,butonlyafterIactuallysatintheAlibabaofficebuildingdidIrealizebehindthemissuchahugeoperation.”ToChiyundu,thisvisittoChinahasgivenhimavaluableandspecialopportunitytoelevatehimself,andsuchopportunitiesarenotopentoeveryyoungentrepreneurinAfrica.“Ididn’tpaymuchattentiontothedevelopmentofinfrastructurelikelogisticsinthepast.Ialwaysthoughttheyweresomehowirrelevanttomybusiness.AfterlearningfromthedevelopingpathofAlibaba,Icametorealizethatthemaximizedsuccesscanonlybegainedwithacompletecorrespondingsystemasbackup.Taobao’ssuccesslargelydependsontheuniversaluseofAlipay.”
NowbackinZambia,Chiyunduissparingnoeffortstohelpbuildcorrespondinginfrastructures,whichinturnwillsupportBroadPay.Meanwhile,hehopeshecanhavemoree-commerceplatformsaccessedinBroadPay,thusmakinglifemoreconvenientfortheZambianpeople.
Duringhistwo-weektraininginChina,MousselmalvisitedseveralenterprisesandtheAlibabaBusinessSchool,pickingupvaluableexperiencealongtheway.