As geopolitical tensions rise, external partners want a say in African development choices. This is particularly true for digital expansion, where Global South countries are frequently framed as battlegrounds between Chinese companies like Huawei and Western competitors.
However, African policymakers are gaining agency in diversifying their partners and pushing their own digital growth priorities. This becomes clear in a fascinating set of interviews with African decision-makers in the digital economy, led by the Africa-China expert Folashadé Soulé for the UK’s Global Economic Governance Programme.