The Daily Maverick published on 5 August 2020 an opinion piece titled "China and Russia in Africa: Development Allies or Geopolitical Opportunists?" by Nina Callaghan, Dzvinka Kachur, and Mark Swilling.
The authors write that China's and Russia's interests in Africa are strategic to their national objectives, have been carefully planned, and have become more sophisticated and deliberate over the past two decades. Russia's trade and investment in Africa are far below that of China's and focused heavily in the energy sector. The authors conclude that Africa must come to the realization that it is in the continent's interests to negotiate fairer agreements that do not leave them saddled with more debt or the potential loss of national assets.
