Related Posts

Rwandan Singers Strike a Chord on Chinese Social Media

A young Rwandan man and his group of compatriot singers have gone viral in China with short videos showing them performing well-known songs in near-perfect Mandarin. The group, led by Pacifique Izabayo, who goes by the online name Bobo, performs ...

Burundi’s “Banana Riders” Go Viral on Chinese Social Media, Triggering Memories of China’s Own Development Journey

Eric, a young Burundian, barrels down a mountain at 70km an hour with more than 200 kilos of bananas strapped to his rickety bicycle in what looks like an absolutely terrifying race to the bottom. Eric and his fellow "banana riders" ...

Ugandan Food Vlogger in Rural China Becomes Unlikely Social Media Star

30-year Ugandan immigrant Rose is now a full-fledged social media star on China's TikTok equivalent Douyin. Now, with more than a million followers and almost 200 million likes, Rose (who doesn't reveal her last name) has become one of China's most popular food vloggers. ...

TRANSLATION: Please Stop Now! Stop Exploiting African Children!!!

"Africa Bob" (波布非洲) is a popular Chinese commentator and content creator about African issues on WeChat. The following is a summary translation of his post that reflects on the controversy about the exploitation of African (Malawi) children used to produce short form videos by Chinese merchants. ...

A Chinese Appeal For Compatriots Not to Abuse Local Workers in Africa

Earlier this year, the head of security at a Chinese company in Zimbabwe posted videos to his Douyin account (the Chinese equivalent of TikTok) that showed him beating and illegally detaining local workers, according to a story published this week on the Zimbabwe Chinese Network (ZCN) WeChat page. ...

Analysis from Cobus van Staden

Plugging into African Agency

After several years of declining funding, the African end of the Belt and Road Initiative seems to be roaring back. The newest Griffith University/Green Development Finance Center data on the Belt and Road Initiative shows that engagement with Africa jumped by 395%, while a few big projects boosted engagement in Nigeria alone more than twelvefold.

These shifts indicate a window of opportunity for African electrification. 60% of Africans still lack ...

A Small African Trade Show in China Highlights Some Very Big Trends

The "Quality African Goods" (非洲好物) shopping festival kicked off on Thursday as part of a larger two-week e-commerce bonanza organized by a group of provincial governments together with China's Ministry of Commerce. The African portion of the event is relatively small ...

The Back Story of China’s Most Popular Vlogger in Africa

Wang Yao had lived in East Africa for more than a decade and became increasingly frustrated with the way that Africa was depicted in the Chinese media. When he searched for "Africa" on search engines or social video sites, all he got were the usual memes about ...

Meet Wang Yao, Entrepreneur, Vlogger, and a Guy Who Looks Like He’s Living His Best Life in Kenya

Wang Yao 王垚 is a truly unique character who's not only built a hugely successful second-hand clothing business in Kenya but has also become a celebrity on Chinese social media platforms where he now has almost 5 million followers. Wang first came ...