‘Africa Rising’ in Retreat
As the commodity super-cycle’s denouement now makes obvious the need for change, at least it is clear to all that Africans are not lying down.
China
The benevolent great power
Opportunities like China’s One Belt One Road Initiative cannot simply be ignored, but should be engaged with critically.
The African Who Wanted to Fly
When he was fifteen, the Gabonese Luc Bendza embarked on his life journey to China to
The lives and times of Africans in Guangzhou
The film 'Guangzhou Dream Factory" is a rich account of the complexities of living in China as an African migrant.
The bargaining power of African states
One of the main challenge for the continent remain: there is a lack of consensus in terms of African strategies towards India, the US, or China.
The land grabs in Africa you don’t hear about
There's little doubt that Chinese and Arab interests are procuring land in Africa, but a careful review of the evidence suggests also point to local buyers.
The deal with China’s new military base in Djibouti
When are African states establishing joint military bases to secure trade routes or fight off piracy instead of diversifying the source of foreign influence on their territories?
Will Africa’s Industrial Revolution Be Made in China?
In 2014, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang told the African Union that China was planning to move a number of labour-intensive industries to Africa.
Friendship Forever
China is building new football stadiums in Africa. If its “agenda” of stadium diplomacy has been concealed, it hasn’t really been hidden very far from view.
In Search of the “African Middle Class”
Who would guess that a little over a decade ago Africa was mostly described as "the hopeless continent"?
The Africa-China romance is killing Europe
A Dutch documentary film explores increasing migration and trade links between African countries, their citizens and China.
Law and Order
The United States' star mercenary, Erik Prince of Blackwater, protects Chinese investment around the African continent.
The Next James Bond
The Bond franchise has a white casting problem, but at least it has made peace with Britain and its institutions' marginal position within world affairs.
When China Met Africa
An exploration of China's presence in Zambia, including suspicion, tensions and possibilities for collaboration.
The world’s media and Angola’s elections
The oppression/resistance model of politics explains some things, but it does not explain everything, and less and less these days on the continent.
Lesotho gets the Kristof Treatment
Nicholas Kristof believes his journalism must contain a familiar entity from Western society – a white American – to make the content accessible to his readers.
The Economist’s “Africa”
The Economist changed its verdict from "Hopeless Africa" to "Africa Rising" in eleven years. But few care about the latest verdict.