Category: Africa
Why Sahel States Are Turning to Chinese Military Gear
In early September, Guinea’s port of Conakry turned into a military stage as convoys of CS/VP-14 mine-resistant vehicles, VN-22 6×6 infantry carriers, command and recovery vehicles, and even an SR-5 rocket artillery system rolled off Chinese cargo ships and headed toward Mali’s capital. ...
China’s Gradual but Growing Security Influence in Africa
China is steadily expanding its security presence in Africa through deeper military ties, weapons sales, and multinational deployments as UN Peacekeepers. In fact, China is now the largest arms supplier to Sub-Saharan Africa, according to data from the Stockholm International Peace ...
Ethiopians Dream of an Electric Car Future
By Dylan Gamba Kemeriya Mehammed Abduraheman set her sights on an electric car four months ago, joining more than 100,000 Ethiopians who have made the green switch. While electric vehicle (EV) sales in Africa accounted ...
S.Africa Court Jails 7 Chinese Nationals for Human Trafficking
A South African court sentenced seven Chinese nationals to 20 years in prison Wednesday for forcing more than 90 Malawians, some as young as 14, to work in a Johannesburg sweatshop. Africa's most industrialised nation is a magnet for undocumented migrants ...
How Chinese Fintech Is Overcoming Africa’s Limited Banks and Patchy Internet to Build Mobile Wallets for 1 Billion Users
At a bustling Lagos market, a fish vendor no longer worries about counterfeit bills—his PalmPay QR code brings instant payments confirmed by a Yoruba voice alert. In Johannesburg, a Chinese garment trader receives rand through Vodapay that lands in renminbi within minutes, bypassing costly bank delays. These ...
Kenya Caught Uncomfortably Between the U.S. and China
The Kenyan government is under mounting pressure from the United States over its close ties with China. Influential lawmakers in Washington are furious over comments made by President William Ruto during a visit to Beijing earlier this year, where he said ...
Why Chinese Flight Attendants Love Africa Routes
The most coveted international route among China Southern Airlines crew isn’t to glamorous destinations in Europe or the United States, but to Africa, a flight attendant recently revealed on Chinese video platform Bilibili. Back in 2015, during China Southern’s peak ...
On Chinese Social Media, Rwanda’s Army Looks Strikingly Like the PLA
On Chinese social media, a Bilibili video has left netizens marveling at how much Rwanda’s army has come to resemble the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). The edit splices together clips of Rwandan infantry drills, martial art practices, parades, and even the hand gestures of their instructors. ...
Chinese Exports to Africa Soar
The flow of Chinese goods to African countries has increased markedly as trade barriers rise elsewhere. Exports are reportedly up 25% year-on-year to $122 billion, more than the whole of 2020, and total exports to the continent are expected to pass the $200 billion mark this ...
How China is Transforming Africa’s Power Sector
African imports of Chinese solar panels over the last year jumped by 60% to over 15 MW, a new record. The clean energy research body Ember published a report yesterday detailing Chinese solar exports to the continent. It uses Chinese customs data to show a marked year-on-year increase ...
Why China’s Middle-Class Families Are Flocking to Kenya for Summer Trips
In the summer of 2023, a curious travel trend began surfacing on Chinese social media feeds: middle-class parents were flying their children halfway across the world, not to Disneyland or a European city, but to Kenya’s grasslands. For China’s aspirational urban families, East Africa has suddenly become ...
U.S. Bids to Trump China in DR Congo Mining Rush
The United States wants to secure its supply of strategic minerals in conflict-torn Democratic Republic of Congo, hoping to challenge China's near-monopoly on the lucrative sector. While the strategy has been in the works for years, Washington has doubled down on ...