When it was announced in 2023 that the African Union would become a full member of the G20, I darkly joked on a podcast that the AU’s entry into the body could very well mark the moment the G20 lost its status as one of the most important global coordination forums. Mark my words, I said, soon The Economist will be like “Uhhh, the G20 is OVER – it’s the ...
Category: China-Africa
Fuel Crisis, Chinese Bikes, and the Race for Nigeria’s Electric Future
Electric motorcycles are transforming transportation across Nigeria — fast. But behind the boom is a much more complex story involving Chinese technology, geopolitics, affordability, and the future of local manufacturing. In this episode of The Africa EV Show, Njenga Hakeenah sits ...
China Presses Its Global Security Vision in Africa With High-Level AU Briefing
The Chinese government is ramping up promotion of its Global Security Initiative to key stakeholders in Africa. Last week, the Foreign Ministry organized a briefing seminar on the GSI at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa for senior-level AU and UN officials.
To Build a Kenyan EV, an Engineer Turns to China… for Know-How, Not Cars
On the outskirts of Nairobi’s industrial zone, Engineer Tadesse Tessema, a soft-spoken power electronics graduate who built Ethiopia’s first car assembly plant nearly two decades ago, is once again trying to do something no one has done in East Africa: create a locally manufactured electric vehicle — ...
China E-Mobility Weekly Digest: Africa Edges Into the EV Era With Universal Charging Hubs And More Funding
This is a free preview of the upcoming Africa EVs Weekly Digest, part of the new CGSP Intelligence service. Many African nations find themselves in a paradoxical moment regarding electric mobility. They sit atop some of the world’s richest ...
The Silent Crisis Killing African EV Manufacturing
Kenya's electric vehicle innovations and adoptions are well documented but beneath the veneer lies a challenge that many do not speak of loudly- the capacity for local production of basic components. This is an issue that slows down growth not only ...
At African Studies Gathering, Critiques of China Grow Louder… And More African
By Felix Brender 王哲謙 Some of North America’s (and perhaps the world’s) leading Africanists gathered last week in Atlanta for the African Studies Association’s Annual Meeting. As ever, China loomed large on the agenda. What was new, however, was not ...
Uber Deploys Chinese EV Minicars For its Budget Option in South Africa
Uber is deploying compact electric vehicles from China, introducing a fully electric ride-hailing option to the South African market. At the center of the rollout is the Henrey four-seat minicar, imported by Valternative Energy, a South Africa–based clean-mobility company. Valternative, ...
Europe Meets Africa Amid Rising China Anxieties
About seventy leaders from European Union and African Union member countries met for a summit in Angola on Monday. The summit is partially overshadowed by the rapid developments around a possible U.S.-led deal in Ukraine, where Europe is being sidelined. The Europeans gathered an impromptu internal summit ...
China E-Mobility Weekly Digest: China Races Ahead in Africa’s EV Market as Local Manufacturing, Legacy Players Gain Momentum
This is a free preview of the upcoming Africa EVs Weekly Digest, part of the new CGSP Intelligence service. Chinese automakers are accelerating their push into Africa’s electric vehicle market, viewing the continent as one of the few remaining ...
Uganda’s First Zero-Tariff Exports to China Depart, Underscoring Challenge of Low-Value Goods
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni proudly waved his national flag at a send-off ceremony on Friday for 11 tons of dried chili bound for China. This shipment is among the first Ugandan exports to China that will benefit from Beijing's new zero-tariff ...
Chinese Premier Visits Zambia Amid Geopolitical Competition
Chinese Premier Li Qiang is in Zambia, the first high-level Chinese leader to visit the country since 2007. His trip comes as the country emerges from a years-long financial crisis Li’s visit comes as China, Zambia, and Tanzania embark on ...
New Data: How Chinese Economic Shifts will Impact Africa
As China navigates a domestic economic downturn and a whipped-up global geoeconomic scene, its trade with Africa keeps changing. A new report by the Rhodium Group in collaboration with the Atlantic Council projects how Chinese economic growth trends will affect ...
China E-Mobility Weekly Digest: From Pixii to Yango: Africa’s Next Wave of Electric Vehicle Innovation
This is a free preview of the upcoming Africa EVs Weekly Digest, part of the new CGSP Intelligence service. Changes in electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing and trade dynamics worldwide are unlocking business innovation. African countries, which largely lag ...