China and Australia Collaborate in Namibian Uranium Project

 Ecofin Agency published on 28 September 2026 an article titled "Australia's Bannerman Funds Etango in Namibia Without Bank Debt, Gives China Rights to 60% of Uranium Output" by Idriss Linge.

Australian uranium developer Bannerman Energy has secured a $320 million investment package from the state-owned China National Nuclear Corporation Overseas for Namibia's Etango uranium project.  The Chinese nuclear group gets a 42.75 percent interest in Etango but rights to buy 60 percent of the mine's uranium production over its operating life.

China Increases Lithium Investments in DRC

 Discovery Alert posted on 25 March 2026 an article titled "DRC Lithium Project: $1.4B Investment Transforming Africa's Mining Sector" by Muflih Hidayat.

China's Zijin Mining Group will have a 55 percent controlling interest in a $1.4 billion joint investment with the DRC government in a lithium mining project that will potentially contribute almost 5 percent of global mined lithium output by 2028.

The DRC project represents a paradigm shift in how international mining companies approach African mineral extraction.  Rather than focus on raw material export, this approach integrates downstream processing capabilities directly into mining operations.  

What Africa Wants from China in 2026

 The Africa Center for Strategic Studies published on 16 January 2026 an analysis titled "What to Expect from Africa-China Relations in 2026."

The focus of the analysis is what Africa hopes to get from China in 2026.  In summary, Africa seeks to rebalance its ties with China concerning debt sustainability, value addition, and industrialization and to move toward a more equal and transparent partnership that prioritizes long-term African development.  Africa wants a strategic partnership aligned with Agenda 2063.

Chinese Port Development in Nigeria: From Contractor to Investor

 The China-Africa Research Initiative at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies published in January 2023 a study titled "From Contractors to Investors? Evolving Engagement of Chinese State Capital in Global Infrastructure Development and the Case of Lekki Port in Nigeria" by Hong Zhang.  

This case study of Lekki Port in Nigeria serves to illustrate the challenges in China's transition toward "integrated investment, construction, and operation" (IICO) whereby Chinese companies move beyond their traditional role as engineering and construction contractors and also become developers and operators of infrastructure projects.  

The paper calls for continued attention to this emerging form of Chinese state capital's engagement in global infrastructure development, especially on how risks are managed and the implications for the relationships between Chinese actors and host country stakeholders.  

What China Learns from African Managerial Practices

 The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace published in October 2022 a study entitled "What China Is Learning from West African Managerial Practices" by Abdoulkadre Ado, University of Ottawa.

Investing in African joint ventures has enabled Chinese cultural adaptation by emphasizing training programs in languages commonly spoken in Africa, embracing local management styles, and assimilating some local practices.

African governments, businesses, and corporate managers should explore further ways to incentivize Chinese government decisionmakers and Chinese businesses to use joint ventures more often as the vehicle for their investments in Africa.  They should also encourage Chinese organizations to embrace the use of local languages, especially for conducting business, and to train more Chinese to use African managerial philosophies that have proven to respect local values while being effective in African markets. 

Chinese Manufacturing Investments in Nigeria

The China Africa Research Initiative at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies published in April 2020 a study titled "'Africa's China': Chinese Manufacturing Investments in Nigeria in the Post-Oil Boom Era and Channels for Technology Transfer" by Yunnan Chen.

The study outlines major Chinese investments in Nigeria's manufacturing sector, specifically looking at their potential to foster industrialization and structural transformation. Political and exchange rate instability were consistent challenges in the wake of the recent economic recession.

Chinese Manufacturing Investments and Knowledge Transfer in Ethiopia

The China Africa Research Initiative at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies published in March 2019 a study titled "Chinese Manufacturing Investments and Knowledge Transfer: A Report from Ethiopia" by Tang Xiaoyang, Tsinghua University.

The paper examines knowledge transfer mechanisms between Chinese investments and Ethiopian firms, institutions, and individuals at four different levels in the manufacturing sector.

China-Nigeria: FDI and Technology Transfer

The SAIS China-Africa Research Initiative published in January 2016 a study titled "Learning from China? Manufacturing, Investment, and Technology Transfer in Nigeria" by Yunnan Chen, et al. 

The paper examines new trends of Chinese foreign direct investment and technology transfer in Nigeria's manufacturing sector, and evaluates their potential to catalyze further industrialization. 

Chinese Investments in Zimbabwe and Namibia

The Centre for Chinese Studies at Stellenbosch University published in September 2014 a study titled "Chinese Investments in Zimbabwe and Namibia: A Comparative Legal Analysis" by Clever Mapaure.

This study is a critical legal analysis of the law and practice related to Chinese investments in Namibia and Zimbabwe.  It concludes that China is playing a vital role in bringing much needed foreign direct investment to both Namibia and Zimbabwe while, at the same time, raising a number of valid and controversial questions about the conduct of Chinese investors.