Turning China Trade Potential Into Growth

As African economies face shifting supply chains, the China International Import Expo (CIIE) presents a gateway to the world’s largest consumer base.

For African SMEs, accessing China is about scale and sustainability. With China already Africa’s largest trading partner, bilateral trade between China and Africa reached an estimated USD 295.6 billion in 2024. With imports from China being larger than African exports, CIIE 2025 provides a unique platform for African exporters to showcase themselves to a significant customer base. Crucially, China recently announced zero-tariff access for all African countries (with the exception of eSwatini), offering a runway for African businesses to diversify markets, mitigate risk and build strong buyer relationships.

Bill Blackie, Chief Executive Officer of Business and Commercial Banking at Standard Bank Group, says, “Platforms such as CIIE create an opportunity for SMEs to amplify their growth. This is where possibility meets reality. As we continue to help our clients land the right partnerships, Standard Bank is enabling African businesses to showcase and appropriately position themselves and participate in the global economy.”

Standard Bank’s strategic partnership with the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) puts us in a unique position to deal in Chinese Renminbi (RMB), enabling businesses to make and receive RMB payments for trade settlements enabling Africa-China trade.

Recent client experiences illustrate the impact of Standard Bank’s strategic Africa-China approach. In 2024 for instance, and with the support of the bank and Wesgro, the tourism, trade and investment promotion agency for the Western Cape, two South African rooibos tea exporters secured first-time entry into China through CIIE. The two producers converted their exhibition presence into initial multimillion rand contracts, which will more than quadruple over the next 5 years. Ugandan coffee exporters likewise concluded multimillion rand contracts with Chinese buyers after showcasing their products in Shanghai last year.

Beyond these commercial wins, CIIE provided exporters with a platform to meet international buyers, study consumer demand and identify new opportunities across Asia. These businesses were able to translate global exposure into tangible contracts and long-term growth prospects.

Standard Bank’s Africa–China Trade Solutions (ACTS) helps turn possibilities into sustainable trade opportunities​. The bank offers trade facilitation, forex risk management, buyer matchmaking, and advisory on certifications, underpinned by its strategic partnership with the ICBC, China’s largest bank. This year, the bank is supporting over 20 clients in Shanghai, with the focus on a variety of agri products (raw and processed) such as cashews, shea nuts, shea butter, wine, cassava, flowers, coffee, sesame, meat, various fruits, to name some product categories.

Blackie adds that “Clients appreciate unique and differentiated pathways to new buyers, capital and long-term resilience. Access to trade finance and risk solutions at events like CIIE helps bridge the gap between identifying an opportunity and its conversion into tangible reality.”

Standard Bank enabled R100 billion in Africa-China trade flows for SMEs in 2024 and mobilised R33.6 billion in sustainable finance for infrastructure investment to unlock growth-critical logistics and export pathways. Through the Africa-China corridor and its unique ICBC partnership, the bank has helped clients move into high-demand areas like agri-processing, renewable energy and value-added consumer goods.

Beyond immediate trade deals, Standard Bank will participate in bilateral forums at CIIE, advocating for structural solutions that reduce Africa’s cost-to-trade and integrate SMEs into global supply chains. This complements South Africa’s G20 Presidency and the B20 process, which together provide a global stage to push for Africa’s integration into world markets.

Blackie concludes that, “Africa’s entrepreneurial spirit combined with access to significant global markets are key enablers to the continent achieving its potential. For Africa’s growth to be sustained, it is key that the continent becomes part of the global supply conversation and Standard Bank is here to make that conversation real.”