The Pew Research Center published on 15 July 2026 research results titled "People in Many Countries Now View China More Positively than the U.S." by Jonathan Schulman, Laura Silver, Laura Clancy, and William Miner.
Pew surveyed public opinion of the United States and China in 36 countries, including 4--South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, and Ghana--in Africa. Since the beginning of the Trump administration, positive perceptions of the United States in the 4 African countries vis-a-vis China have fallen, although the US still maintains a slight lead in Ghana.
Positive views of the United States and China today are:
South Africa: 35 percent for the US and 52 percent for China
Nigeria: 63 percent for the US and 78 percent for China
Kenya: 63 percent for the US and 76 percent for China
Ghana: 68 percent for the US and 64 percent for China
When asked if they are confident Donald Trump or Xi Jinping will do the right thing, the results were:
South Africa: 26 percent for Trump and 46 percent for Xi
Kenya: 63 percent for Trump and 73 percent for Xi
Ghana: 54 percent for Trump and 56 percent for Xi
Nigeria: 65 percent for Trump and 62 percent for Xi
