The Beijing Hotel in Juba on Friday launched the Beijing Supermarket, a sister company, to spur economic growth in South Sudan through partnerships with local producers and the employment of nationals.
Speaking during the launch, Philip Deng Mabior, the manager of Beijing Supermarket, said the business 80 percent of the employees are South Sudanese, including cleaners, cashiers, security personnel, and customer service workers, thereby addressing the issue of unemployment in the country.
“If you look at South Sudan right now, most young people have the skills and are competent enough, but they have no place to work and no opportunity to exercise the gifts and talents they possess,” he said. “A supermarket like this gives them a platform.”
According to Deng, Beijing Supermarket will partner with farmers and producers to encourage local production by providing a ready market for their goods.
“On the farmers’ side, one thing I can emphasize is that we do not need to bring vegetables, eggs, and onions from neighbouring countries. These are products local farmers can grow in South Sudan, and the company can partner with them to purchase their produce,” he said. “If you have a small farm, grow tomatoes, register it as a company, and bring the produce to us; we can buy from you and resell to South Sudanese consumers.”
For his part, Simon He, Managing Director of Beijing Hotel and Supermarket, said the company conducted research on African countries and found that South Sudan offers the greatest opportunity for Chinese investors compared to other countries in the region.
“South Sudan has the biggest chance among all those African countries. As far as I know, in Kenya there are 100,000 Chinese, Tanzania has 300,000, and Uganda has several Chinese doing business there. But in South Sudan, for businessmen and private individuals, there are only around 500 Chinese, which means there is a very big opportunity here,” he said. “Whenever containers come from Uganda or Kenya to South Sudan, they are full, but they leave empty. What we want is not only to import goods from China, Uganda, or Kenya, but also to export products.”
Meanwhile, Atong Kuol Manyang, South Sudan’s Minister of Trade and Industry, underscored the strong and growing ties between China and South Sudan. She said the new venture is expected to provide a significant boost to the local economy.
She acknowledged China’s long-standing support for South Sudan, which includes substantial investments in road infrastructure, the petroleum sector, healthcare, and educational scholarships.
The Beijing Supermarket, located in the heart of Juba City, offers a range of products, including groceries, cosmetics, textiles, beverages, and electronics, among others, sourced both locally and from abroad.