Follow CGSP on Social Media

Listen to the CGSP Podcast

Stadium Diplomacy in Africa is Fashionable Again

urkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan passes the ball to Senegalese President Macky Sall at the new Olympic Stadium in Dakar, Senegal. (Photo courtesy of the Turkish Presidency)

Early on in China’s engagement in Africa, the Chinese were big on gifting sports stadiums to African governments as part of their soft power diplomatic outreach on the continent. Later, Chinese infrastructure development shifted focus to larger, more conventional projects like bridges, railroads and highways but now that appears to be changing as stadiums are again becoming countries’ showpiece development projects on the continent.

Last week during a visit to Senegal, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan showed off his skills as a former semi-professional footballer when he appeared on the pitch with President Macky Sall. Unlike China, Turkey doesn’t just give away stadiums but it does build them. The 50,000 seat facility in Dakar was constructed by Turkish contractor Summa and provided President Erdogan a great venue to show off the capabilities of Turkish construction companies in Africa.

  • Get a daily email packed with the latest China-Africa news and analysis.
  • Read exclusive insights on the key trends shaping China-Africa relations.
  • Full access to the News Feed that provides daily updates on Chinese engagement in Africa and throughout the Global South.

China, Africa and the Global South... find out what’s happening.

Subscribe today for unlimited access.

What is The China-Global South Project?

Independent

The China-Global South Project is passionately independent, non-partisan and does not advocate for any country, company or culture.

News

A carefully curated selection of the day’s most important China-Global South stories. Updated 24 hours a day by human editors. No bots, no algorithms.

Analysis

Diverse, often unconventional insights from scholars, analysts, journalists and a variety of stakeholders in the China-Global South discourse.

Networking

A unique professional network of China-Africa scholars, analysts, journalists and other practioners from around the world.