Rwanda jumping on e-commerce bandwagon

A boost to sales represents just one aspect of economic benefits brought by livestreaming. Ren said livestreaming also serves to help manufacturers better grasp consumer needs so that they stand to roll out more customized offerings.

"For instance, coffee beans might not be widely accepted by Chinese people compared with their Western counterparts. With livestreaming, some manufacturers are considering making substitutes like coffee powder or instant coffee to tailor to Chinese needs and therefore drive sales," he said.

There is a deeper influence at play－unlocking the potential of the local economy.

For instance, Alibaba worked in tandem with Rwandan enterprises for the co-development of chili-derived products. These included a type of sticky rice bun with chili sauces as stuffing, while other goods are available on Freshippo, Alibaba's online-to-offline grocery chain.

"Instead of importing raw chili directly to China, we would kindly ask our Rwanda counterparts to process the chili based on customized requirements and on Chinese customers' likings," Ren said.

"The overriding purpose is to try to help enhance their production expertise and at the same time leave more business value in Rwanda and make a bigger contribution to the local economy," he added.

This is not the first time Alibaba used livestreaming to promote another country's products. Last year the e-commerce giant hosted a Malaysia Week, using broadcasting sessions and online celebrities to promote a string of Malaysian products ranging from durian to coffee.

Ambassador Kimonyo said China's digital economy playbook has aroused the interest of many in Rwanda, who also want to leverage the infrastructure in more enterprising undertakings.

"We are very excited to be part of the eWTP (Electronic World Trade Platform)," he said. "We've seen growth in terms of exports, and livestreaming events will actually be helping us to better market products in the Chinese market."

Ren said livestreaming is giving a substantial boost to cross-border e-commerce channels, which caters to smaller brands and manufacturers with genuine high quality.

"By empowering local partners when meeting Chinese demand, we hope these efforts are a manifestation of globalization and localization at the same time," he said.