China and US Compete for South Africa's Platinum

 Semafor published on 21 September 2026 an article titled "South Africa Woos US and China with Platinum" by Alexis Akwagyiram, Tiisetso Motsoeneng, and Sam Mkokeli.

South Africa is the world's leading supplier of platinum and seeking to gain influence with both China and the United States.  The US needs it for catalytic converters and defense equipment while China needs it to develop green hydrogen as a form of sustainable energy.

At the political level, the Trump administration continues to alienate South Africa, while China is cultivating the South African government.  Washington's criticism of South Africa shows no signs of abating, which risks losing more ground to Beijing in the race to secure access to Pretoria's critical minerals.

Namibian President Makes Most of Visit to China

 The Diplomat published on 24 July 2026 a commentary titled "As the World Courts Beijing, Namibia Shows How Africa Can Sharpen Its China Strategy" by Huiyi Chen and Ovigwe Eguegu.  

Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah made a weeklong state visit to China in early July.  She arrived with a clear agenda, negotiated a Namibia-relevant itinerary, and left with numerous tangible agreements.  The authors urge other African leaders to follow her example.

Namibian President Visits China: Focus on Critical Minerals and Manufacturing

 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.