Pan African Television posted on 8 July 2026 an article titled "Namibia's President Visits China for Talks on Minerals, Green Hydrogen, and Manufacturing" by Victoria Wilson.
Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah is on a state visit to China. Her priority is attracting investment in minerals processing and downstream manufacturing. Namibia aims to process 57 percent of its exported minerals locally by 2030.
Forbes published on 1 July 2026 an article titled "Ethiopia: From China's Star Pupil to Africa's Free Agent" by Wesley Alexander Hill.
For years, China found an eager partner in Meles Zenawi's Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front, which ruled Ethiopia and embraced elements of China's development model. It delivered impressive economic growth for many years, but it also contained structural weaknesses that Beijing's own system largely avoided.
The rise of Abiy Ahmed marked the end of this era. Ethiopia's current economic strategy represents one of Africa's most consequential experiments in macroeconomic liberalization.
The Africa Center for Strategic Studies published on 10 June 2026 a study titled "Beyond Ports: China Embeds Itself in Africa's Maritime Networks" by Paul Nantulya.
China has established new shipping corridors that connect African port clusters in West, North, and Southern Africa to Chinese port hubs in Qingdao, Tianjin, and Yantai. These routes add to the dozens of direct lines between African and Chinese ports, reflecting growing integration into China-centered maritime networks.
The UK's Institute of Development Studies published on 10 June 2026 a study titled "From Market Access to Strategic Openness: The New China-Africa Business Relationship" by Jing Gu.
China's new zero tariff policy for Africa opens doors for increased exports to China but does not automatically increase them. The real constraints are upstream standards compliance, rules of origin, certification, logistics, cold chains, customs systems, trade finance, and company-level capacity.
Diplobrief Media posted on 19 March 2026 an article titled "EU Takes on China in Africa's Digital Race with Inaugural Global Gateway Deal in Kenya."
The European Union moved to counter China's growing influence in Africa's digital space. As part of its Global Gateway strategy, the EU launched a new technology partnership with Kenya to deepen collaboration in telecommunications infrastructure, artificial intelligence, and e-governance.
WinBuzzer posted on 12 March 2026 an article titled "Microsoft Trains Millions in Africa to Counter DeepSeek" by Markus Kasanmascheff.
US Microsoft is racing to train millions of Africans on its artificial intelligence (AI) tools before Chinese rivals led by DeepSeek lock in the continent's fastest growing user base. DeepSeek has already captured 11 to 14 percent of the AI market in Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Uganda, and Niger.
Nanyang Technological University posted on 24 February 2026 an article titled "The State of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Africa" by Amit Jain.
This is a nice summary of the current state of artificial intelligence in Africa, the sectors that are most likely to benefit in the coming years, and the countries that are best positioned to take advantage of it.
The Georgetown Journal of International Affairs published on 7 February 2026 an article titled "The United States, China, and AI Competition in Africa: Lessons for the Global South" by Alice Chen and Neel U. Sukhalme.
This article (also posted below on 11 February) is a useful addition to this topic, which is fast becoming important to Africa's development.
The Emirates Policy Center posted on 27 February 2026 an analysis titled "The Economics of Deterrence: How Corridors and Alliances Are Reshaping Geopolitics" by Ebtesam AlKetbi.
The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) and China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) are frameworks for redistributing centers of gravity and influence, diversifying states' strategic options, and embedding long-term investment commitments.
The world is shifting from rigid alignments to flexible alliances that integrate economy and technology with digital and maritime security. Power is no longer defined solely by territorial control but by the management of flows--trade, energy, data, and capital. A state that positions itself as a central node within these networks gains strategic weight.
In the Indian Ocean region, both the Indian-led IMEC and the better known and more expansive Chinese BRI are efforts to achieve these objectives.
Capital Market Ethiopia posted on 14 January 2026 an article titled "IShowSpeed Touches Down in Ethiopia: Addis Ababa Braces for 'Speed Does Africa' Chaos."
American Darren Jason Watkins Jr., global streaming titan "IShowSpeed," arrived in Ethiopia after a historic visit to Kenya bringing his "Speed Does Africa" to the Horn of Africa. He was immediately engulfed by a sea of Ethiopians.
Ethiopia Insight published on 21 January 2026 a commentary titled "Ethiopia Goes Viral with IShowSpeed, Moment for Reflection" by Fenet Bedaso, Africa Development and Research Center.
The author explains that his visit placed Ethiopia, briefly but unmistakably, at the center of global online conversation.
Comment: While official US influence in Africa continues to slip, unofficial American soft power remains very much alive and well.
BABL AI posted on 2 October 2025 an article titled "China, Africa Outline Joint AI Governance and Innovation Plan" by Jeremy Werner.
China and African nations announced last month a plan that outlines initiatives to expand artificial intelligence (AI) research, governance, and capacity-building across the continent. China will host annual China-Africa Digital Economy and Cybersecurity Seminars, offering training in AI data security and new technology applications.
Megatrends Afrika published in April 2025 a policy brief titled "China in Africa: Shaping Economic Relations Through Subnational Actors" by Hangwei Li.
The policy brief deconstructs China as a unitary actor and highlights the role of provincial and local governments, using Zhejiang Province and Jinhua city as case studies, as integral parts of a multi-layered political architecture that encompasses local, national, and international spheres. The author identifies several downsides in this subnational approach.
Boston University's Global Development Policy Center posted on 15 October 2024 an analysis titled "Back in Action: The Ninth Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Sees Renewed Relations and Development Prospects" by Tianyi Wu.
This is an analysis of the recently completed 9th FOCAC held in Beijing. This iteration of FOCAC suggested that China seeks to adjust its approach to Africa by forging strategic partnerships, compartmentalizing financial tools for development projects, and aligning its engagement with regional multilateral initiatives.
The China-Africa Economic & Trade Research Institute and Datasparkle jointly published and released on 10 May 2024 a detailed document titled "Africa Digital Development Index and China-Africa Digital Economy Cooperation Report."
The report provides an analysis of Africa's digital economy and explores possibilities for collaboration between China and Africa. It compiles data collected from African countries from 2014 to 2023, providing a comprehensive evaluation framework for Africa's digital economy across time, space, and domains. The report highlights significant regional disparities and systemic imbalances in Africa. It cites Kenya-China cooperation as a model for future digital collaboration.
