On Thursday, Africa’s e-commerce giant, Jumia, announced that Chinese cuisine is increasing in popularity on online platforms across Africa. According to China.org, Shreenal Ruparelia, the chief commercial officer of Jumia Food Africa, in a meeting with journalists in Nairobi, told them the consumption of foreign cuisines is growing fast as Africans explore various meals available to them.
“It is part of the discovery as more consumers move online and try new cuisines,” Ruparela said during the launch of the Africa food index report. Africa food index was launched on the eve of World Food Day to share food trends impacted this year by the COVID -19 pandemic.
It has been observed by Jumia over the last 3 years that Africa’s growing online audience has seen an increase in international brands setting up shop to tap into the growing middle-income segment. KFC, McDonald’s, and Burger King have all invested in this ever-growing market. Jumia has played a key role in shaping supply chains and opening markets to new entrants. Local producers and restaurants have all joined this new venture.
Chinese foods are becoming enjoyable to Africans, which has been enhanced as a result of it being available on mobile applications. The desire to explore foods from other regions of the world and foreign cuisines has served as a factor for the growing popularity of Chinese foods.
The growing number of Chinese people and Chinese restaurants on the continent has also played a key role in increasing awareness and drawing attention to Chinese foods.
According to the Africa food index report, Nairobi is the leading city across Africa for online food delivery, followed by Casablanca (Morocco), Lagos (Nigeria), Kampala (Uganda), and Abidjan (Cote d’Ivoire).
According to the findings, Kenya leads in online food purchases, and this is attributed to its high mobile internet penetration with urban, young, and technology savvy people constituting its largest segment of consumers. The pandemic has made online food delivery a necessity.
Do you enjoy eating Chinese food? Is the growing popularity of Chinese foods in Africa a Chinese cultural takeover?
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Africans on China (AoC) is a media-tech platform and consultancy on a mission to create a self-sufficient Africa that relates with the world, especially China, on mutually beneficial terms. We are led by a team of passionate African professionals who are experts in their field. Together, we bring decades of strategic and business expertise in the African and Chinese business and educational markets.
