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PODCAST

The China in Africa Podcast

The China-Global South Project

Twice-weekly discussion about China"s engagement across Africa and the Global South hosted by journalist Eric Olander and Asia-Africa scholar Cobus van Staden in Johannesburg.

news politics

All Episodes

01:02:26

2025 China-Africa Year in Review

The China in Africa Podcast ·

2025/12/25

In this special year-end edition of The China in Africa Podcast, Eric, Cobus, and Géraud look back on the top stories of 2025 and look ahead to the key trend to watch in 2026. 📌 Topics covered include: Simandou goes online (Guinea) and the iron ore geopolitics shift Zambia's Kafue River spill and the China narrative battle China's manufacturing push, overcapacity, and export pressures Soybeans and South America's growing leverage in U.S.–China trade China–India détente and what it changes (and

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52:49

China's Outsized Role in West Africa's Illegal...

The China in Africa Podcast ·

2025/12/18

Every year, illegal mining, fishing, and logging drain billions of dollars from West Africa's economies as the problem persists largely unchecked, with Chinese actors playing an outsized role. Fueled by chronic corruption among local regulators across the region and seemingly insatiable demand for these resources in China, curtailing these illegal activities often feels impossible. But there's still hope. Earlier this year, a group of 21 scholars and analysts, mostly from West Africa, came together

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01:05:33

China's Role in Africa's Industrialization: Obstacle,...

The China in Africa Podcast ·

2025/12/12

Africa's industrialization push is colliding with the defining economic question of this era: how can any country or region climb the manufacturing value chain so long as China dominates industrial production of pretty much, well, everything? But even if overcoming the China question is possible, African leaders then face a second, more daunting obstacle: infrastructure. The lack of reliable power, water, roads, and other infrastructure necessary to support industrialization is severe in many parts

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58:58

Why the U.S.-DRC Mining Deal is Bad News For China

The China in Africa Podcast ·

2025/12/06

The U.S. and the DR Congo signed a landmark deal on critical minerals during President Félix Tshisekedi's visit to the White House this week. The pact provides the U.S. with extraordinary access to the Congolese mining sector and is widely expected to inhibit Chinese mining companies in the DRC from expanding their operations. CGSP Africa Editor Géraud Neema joins Eric & Cobus to break down the details of the deal and explain why what happened in the DRC could set a dangerous precedent for Chinese

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48:54

China at COP30 and the New Politics of Climate Change

The China in Africa Podcast ·

2025/11/27

With the U.S. absent from two major international summits this month, the G20 in South Africa and the COP30 in Brazil, we got an early look at what the post-American order is starting to look like. In both instances, China moved to fill the void left by the U.S., taking on a much more prominent role. Anika Patel, China analyst at the non-profit climate news site Carbon Brief, reported extensively from COP30 and noted a key difference in Beijing's messaging at the different summits in Johannesburg

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41:39

How China Uses Parliamentary Buildings to Build...

The China in Africa Podcast ·

2025/11/25

China has funded, designed, and built more than 200 government buildings across Africa, including the headquarters of the African Union and Ecowas, foreign ministry annexes in Ghana and Kenya, and at least 15 national parliaments. Eric and Cobus speak with Innocent Batsani-Ncube, an associate professor of African politics at Queen Mary University of London and author of the new book China and African Parliaments. Drawing on extensive fieldwork in Lesotho, Malawi, and Zimbabwe, Batsani-Ncube explains

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54:37

Chinese Nationals' Role in Africa's Illicit Weapons,...

The China in Africa Podcast ·

2025/11/21

There's mounting evidence from the United Nations and others that Chinese organized crime syndicates are moving more of their operations from countries in Southeast Asia to Africa. These groups are contributing to a surge in illicit crypto mining, scam centers, illegal wildlife trafficking, and black market weapons sales. African countries with already weak governance systems are particularly vulnerable. Géraud speaks with Adam Rousselle, a researcher and author who tracks the illicit arms trade,

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40:59

Is China's "Engineering State" the New Development...

The China in Africa Podcast ·

2025/11/14

China's rapid ascent from rural poverty to industrial superpower reshaped the global economy and established a new center of gravity for manufacturing. Today, Chinese factories anchor much of the world's supply chains, producing goods at a speed and scale that few countries can match. Behind this transformation is a system that author Dan Wang describes in his new book "Breakneck: China's Quest to Engineer the Future" as the "engineering state," a model defined by massive investments in

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22:23

Why China's Ability to Make a $6 Toaster is a Big...

The China in Africa Podcast ·

2025/11/12

China is breaking the rules of development. Typically, as countries progress up the value chain, they transition from agriculture to light industry, then to heavy industry, and ultimately to high-technology and services. And as they move up the value chain, this creates opportunities for less-developed countries to advance. But China's not doing that. Chinese manufacturers are holding on to their immense productive capacity, enabling them to produce both low-tech sneakers and high-tech

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39:28

How China Changed Its Image in the African News Media

The China in Africa Podcast ·

2025/11/08

Ten years ago, African news coverage of China's engagement on the continent was often quite negative and repackaged many of the critical Western narratives. Today, the situation is very different. China has spent considerable resources cultivating closer ties with African news outlets. Through a combination of journalist junkets, so-called "content sharing agreements," and Chinese equipment donations to African state broadcasters, Beijing has been very effective in generating much more positive

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40:25

China's Evolution from "Rules Taker" to "Rules Maker"...

The China in Africa Podcast ·

2025/11/03

As China's economic influence expands, so does its ambition to shape the very system that once constrained it. In this episode of The China-Global South Podcast, Eric speaks with Greg Chin and Kevin Gallagher from Boston University's Global Development Policy Center about their new book that details China's transformation from a "rules taker" within the Bretton Woods system to a "rules maker" who's now reshaping the international development finance architecture. Greg and Kevin explore the country's

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31:57

Kenya's Chinese Debt Swap Comes With a Hidden...

The China in Africa Podcast ·

2025/10/31

The Kenyan Treasury last month announced a breakthrough in its years-long effort to restructure billions of dollars still owed to the China Exim Bank that were used to build the Standard Gauge Railway. The two sides agreed to convert the remaining $3.5 billion of debt from higher-interest-rate U.S. dollar-denominated loans to more affordable yuan-denominated loans, which would potentially generate $215 million in savings for the Treasury. Both Ethiopia and Indonesia are also in talks with Chinese

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47:38

Folashadé Soulé on the Evolution of African Agency in...

The China in Africa Podcast ·

2025/10/24

Ghana’s negotiations for a China–Ghana free trade deal have sparked a fierce national debate. Political leaders are hailing it as a breakthrough for exporters, while manufacturers warn of being swamped by cheaper Chinese imports. At the heart of the discussion lies a deeper question: how much power do African countries really have to shape their trade relationships with China? To unpack both the deal and the broader question of “agency” in Africa–China relations, Eric & Cobus speak with Folashadé

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54:50

[CGSP FORUM] Africa's Energy Future and China:...

The China in Africa Podcast ·

2025/10/17

In CGSP’s first-ever China–Africa Energy Forum, Managing Editor Cobus van Staden hosts three leading experts to explore how Chinese finance, technology, and policy are transforming Africa’s power landscape: Frangton Chiyemura Lecturer in International Development, Open University Wei Shen Research Fellow, Institute for Development Studies Adjekai Adjei Non-Resident Fellow for Africa, The China-Global South Project Drawing on CGSP’s new China–Africa Energy Tracker and a groundbreaking report

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37:26

Kenya’s China Debt Deal Challenges Old Narratives

The China in Africa Podcast ·

2025/10/10

Kenya and China have reached a groundbreaking agreement to restructure $3.5 billion in railway loans, converting them from U.S. dollars into Chinese yuan. The move could save Kenya $215 million in debt servicing costs and marks the first time an African nation has shifted major sovereign debt into RMB — a potential model for other Global South countries. In this episode, Eric & Géraud unpack what this deal really means for Kenya, China, and the broader narrative around China's “debt-trap diplomacy.”

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01:01:02

Chinese Online Outrage Over $80 Billion Zambia River...

The China in Africa Podcast ·

2025/10/02

More than six months after 50,000 liters of toxic water from a Chinese-run mining site spilled into Zambia's Kafue River, there's still no resolution to what's become a massive environmental crisis. The government is siding with the company, Sino-Metals, while local farmers and activists remain unsatisfied with the response and have launched multiple lawsuits, including one seeking $80 billion in damages (more than twice the entire size of the Zambian economy). That's sparked outrage on Chinese

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57:06

China's Play for Global Governance Leadership

The China in Africa Podcast ·

2025/10/01

In the weeks since Chinese President Xi Jinping announced the new Global Governance Initiative (GGI) during a speech at the SCO summit in Tianjin, Beijing’s propaganda apparatus has been working overtime to build support for the new plan, particularly in Africa, Latin America, and other developing regions. The GGI is the latest in a series of Chinese global initiatives that also focus on development, human rights, and security, which it’s using to stake a larger claim for international leadership at

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45:37

Africa Buys More From China Than Ever. That’s a Problem.

The China in Africa Podcast ·

2025/09/26

China-Africa trade in the first eight months of the year increased by 15% to more than $220 billion, on track to break another annual record. A significant portion of that growth, however, stemmed from a surge in Chinese exports to African countries, exacerbating an already substantial $60 billion African trade deficit with China. South Africa, by far, is China's most important trade partner on the continent, and it is attempting to close that gap by increasing its exports of agricultural products

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01:01:28

Africa-Asia Relations Beyond China

The China in Africa Podcast ·

2025/09/19

Africa was especially hard hit by Donald Trump's "Liberation Day" tariffs, which ended years of duty-free access to the U.S. and triggered a rush to find new markets. China's announcement that it will remove all tariffs on African imports undoubtedly provides some relief, but it shouldn't be the only answer, say experts. India, Southeast Asia, and Japan all offer tremendous opportunities for African exporters, if they know how to break into these markets. Géraud traveled from Mauritius to Singapore

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51:55

China’s Gradual but Growing Security Influence in Africa

The China in Africa Podcast ·

2025/09/12

China is steadily expanding its security presence in Africa through deeper military ties, weapons sales, and multinational deployments as UN Peacekeepers. In fact, China is now the largest arms supplier to Sub-Saharan Africa, according to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. There are also mounting concerns over the protection of Chinese personnel on the continent who have been regular targets of kidnapping and ransom by bandits in the DRC, Nigeria, and South Africa, among

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440 results

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