When it came to engaging with China, Africa was said to be ‘behind the curve' of its Australian, European, North American, and most certainly it's Asian business counterparts.

"Directing our commercial emphasis, as an economy, toward the East, rather than the staid, recessionary, old markets of the North and the West," was viewed as the way to proceed, according to Frontier Advisory CEO Martyn Davies.

Directing and aiding this emphasis was the role of the newly established China Frontier Advisory, which launched in Johannesburg on Friday, and hoped to inform clients and the general public in terms of engaging the Chinese market.

"Its cultural, its social, and its economic structure, makes market entry into China challenging. We know that. The greatest shortcoming, or impediment we have in building sustainable commerce, is the lack of knowledge we have of each other. Lack of institutional, and above all people-to-people linkages and relationships between us," added Davies.

The Economist Group in China chief representative and director of advisory services for China Economist intelligence unit Xu Sitao, explained that in light of the expected sustained growth of the Chinese economy, China would be importing more and more commodities, as well as consumption goods and lifestyle products.

"The Chinese saving rate is lifting the living standard for many countries, for the next 100 years," stated Sitao.

However, capitalising on these opportunities that present themselves would require stronger relationships and understanding of constantly evolving Chinese structures.

"Very few people understand China - why? Because a lot of economic phenomena in China simply cannot be explained by existing economic theory. Why? Structural changes. The metaphor I use to describe the Chinese economy is a lizard, when we look at a lizard, we see a lizard shedding its old skin. The Chinese economy is constantly undergoing structural changes, shedding its old skin. If you do not understand the animal, you think the animal is dying, but actually the animal is gaining new strength," said Sitao.

Rather than a ‘decoupling' of the global economy, a ‘new coupling' was perhaps a more accurate phrase, and this coupling was one between Africa and Asia, indicated Davies.

China's growth trajectory was largely viewed as dependant on its ability to secure key commodities - which would likely come from Africa. Thus growth in Africa, at 6,8% last year, was underwritten by demand from China.

An important step forward would be to change existing negative perceptions about China, and dispel certain myths about the country.

"China is not that juggernaut that is going to overwhelm us, China is not that threat. China is an opportunity - we need to look at it that way. And you need to take full advantage of that opportunity," stated Clinton Global Initiative programme director University of Hong Kong visiting professor of politics and public administration Dr Alejandro Reyes.

He added that it could be beneficial for economies interacting with China to create regional structures, and pool power, resources, abilities and knowledge to compete and create a bigger market community, in order to have the capacity to build a good strong relationship with China.

"And capacity building means investing in education, investing in public policy, investing in knowledge, investing in all sorts of things so that we have the self confidence to deal with a partner, to have a sustainable and meaningful relationship," Reyes added.

"Lets think of China as an emerging economy that is among many emerging markets," he concluded.