China-Africa trade figures for the first eight months of the year are in and they look solid. So good, in fact, that the two sides appear on track to surpass last year’s $187 billion in two-way trade. But those big numbers conceal some deeper problems, everything ranging from the large trade deficits in most African countries to high levels of debt in other states.

Anzetse Were, a Nairobi-based development economist who’s been closely following China-Africa economic ties for more than a decade, is nonetheless optimistic. She joins Eric & Cobus to explain why the growth in Chinese corporate engagement on the continent is going to be the critical factor.