Mapping Power Plants: What China’s Energy Footprint in Africa Tells Us

Over the last two decades, China has moved from the periphery to the very center of Africa’s power sector story. It has done so not quietly, but with the kind of scale, speed, and scope that makes it impossible to ignore. And yet, for all the attention ...

Analysis from Cobus van Staden

How to Lure Chinese Financing Back to the Global South: Report

Global South countries face increasing financing pressure, endangering their ability to keep developing while also implementing measures to deal with a growing climate crisis. The disruption of global trade is coupled with a larger megatrend: flows of international capital to the developing world have turned negative. This means that countries are now routinely paying more to service loans than they receive in disbursements.

The vast majority of Global South borrowers ...

Chinese Renewable Energy Industry Still at The Center of Africa’s Solar Manufacturing Ambitions

China’s manufacturing dominance remains tightly bound to Africa’s struggle for energy access. The continent holds the raw materials essential for producing renewable energy technologies, yet its factories lack the scale and efficiency to compete with China’s vast industrial base.  As ...

China–Kenya Security Talks Take on Weight Amid U.S. Concerns

China's envoy to Kenya, Guo Haiyan, paid a courtesy call to Kenya's Interior Ministry on Monday, where she met with Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen for talks focused on enhancing cooperation in law enforcement, security, and border management. WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT? Normally, ...

New China-Africa Air Cargo Route From Hainan to Kenya, South Africa

The Kenyan cargo airline Astral Aviation launched new direct service between the southern Chinese island province of Hainan and Africa, with service to both Nairobi and Johannesburg. The first flight took off late last week, ferrying 48 tons of Chinese electronics and e-commerce goods. ...

South Africa Solar Boom Signals Rebellion Against “Malfunctioning Energy Systems”

In many African countries, the future of electricity generation lies in renewables, and South Africa, where over 85% of the energy comes from coal-fired power plants, is already undergoing a shift. Last year, South Africa imported Chinese ...

$80 Billion Zambian Lawsuit Triggers Outrage on Chinese Social Media

China’s social media has been buzzing after Zambian farmers filed an $80 billion lawsuit against Sino-Metals, a Chinese-owned copper mining company, accusing it of causing an environmental disaster following the collapse of a mining waste dam earlier this year. Beyond the ...

Wealthy Nigerians Turn to Chinese Solar Panels as Grid Falters

Wealthy Nigerians are fueling a surge in Chinese solar panel imports, underscoring the country’s deep energy crisis, where more than one-third of the population continues to live without access to electricity. While acknowledging the electricity access problem, Ebipere K. Clark, ...

Powering Africa: China’s Expanding Role in the Continent’s Energy Future

This report, authored by International Development expert Dr. Frangton Chiyemura, examines the scale and significance of Chinese-backed energy projects across Africa. From solar parks in Mali to massive hydropower dams in Zambia, it explains how these initiatives are distributed, why they matter, and what they mean ...

Africa Buys More From China Than Ever. That’s a Problem.

China-Africa trade in the first eight months of the year increased by 15% to more than $220 billion, on track to break another annual record. A significant portion of that growth, however, stemmed from a surge in Chinese exports to African ...

Chinese EV Giant Reenters South African Market

The Chinese car company Geely has announced it will return to South Africa, about a decade after it withdrew from the market. It has reportedly secured 35 dealerships around the country, aiming for 40 before its official launch. South Africa’s ...

Deals Signed at China-South Africa Trade and Investment Conference

The 9th China-South Africa Trade and Investment Promotion Conference opened in Johannesburg on Tuesday. It was marked by the signing of several deals, including an MoU for closer cooperation between the umbrella industry body Business Unity South Africa and ...

China E-Mobility Weekly Digest: Chinese EVs Insurance Crisis, African Countries Accelerating Adoption And Watu’s E-Bike Boom

This is a free preview of the upcoming Africa EVs Weekly Digest, part of the new CGSP Intelligence service launching in Summer 2025. China’s rapid expansion of electric vehicle (EV) ownership highlights significant gaps in the auto-insurance sector, offering ...

China E-Mobility Weekly Digest: Spiro-Church Charging Push, Ethiopia’s EV Future, and Europe’s ICE Lobby

This is a free preview of the upcoming Africa EVs Weekly Digest, part of the new CGSP Intelligence service launching in Summer 2025. Innovations in Africa’s electric vehicle (EV) market continue with partnerships that are as unique as the solutions they ...
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