"We come to this market to buy some food and materials we need, we can cook Chinese food by ourselves, so there is no problem," he said. "Our vegetable products are bought by both Ethiopians and Chinese, but most of the time our customers are Chinese," Beyene told Xinhua, emphasizing the importance of Chinese customers to her business. However, Beyene's interaction with her Chinese customers hasn't been limited to commercial transaction, with her and other Ethiopian shopkeepers in the area now able to speak basic Chinese for daily communication. "I speak basic Chinese to interact with my Chinese customers, but I also have witnessed many Chinese customers are now able to speak our native language Amharic while some others communicate in English," she said. With the number of Chinese customers and their needs fast expanding, Beyene is already looking to diversify her vegetable products to expand her customer base.

Source: Ethiopian News September 08, 2018 16:30 UTC