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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.

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All Episodes

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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35:15

Kenya Caught Uncomfortably Between the U.S. and China

The China in Africa Podcast ·

2025/09/05

The Kenyan government is under mounting pressure from the United States over its close ties with China. Influential lawmakers in Washington are furious over comments made by President William Ruto during a visit to Beijing earlier this year, where he said Kenya and China will be the "architects of a new world order." The remark was particularly upsetting for some in Washington, given Kenya's role as a Major Non-NATO Ally. Aggrey Mutambo, Africa editor at the Nation newspaper, joins Eric & Cobus from

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36:19

Africa is a Testing Ground for China’s Global...

The China in Africa Podcast ·

2025/08/29

China’s presence in Africa is often debated through different lenses. Two prominent angles to examine this relationship are through finance and security. Under finance, Beijing has become the continent’s biggest lender, funding roads, ports, and railways. In security discussions, China’s engagement with Africa is increasing in trade and training. China is advancing the Global Security Initiative (GSI), a framework that emphasizes sovereignty, non-interference, and development as the

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49:45

How Zambian Media Frames China, the U.S., Japan, and...

The China in Africa Podcast ·

2025/08/23

Who shapes Africa’s story? Zambia’s media offers a rare window into how local voices frame global powers like China, the U.S., Japan, and South Africa. From debates on debt and development to questions of governance and influence, the coverage reveals both common threads and striking differences with other regions. Natsuko Imai Kanayama, a researcher at the JICA Ogata Sadako Research Institute for Peace and Development in Tokyo joins Eric & Géraud to share insights from her comparative study,

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24:53

If You Want to Get Rich, Build a Road. Testing...

The China in Africa Podcast ·

2025/08/15

There's a Chinese proverb that says, “If you want to get rich, build a road first.” That philosophy has guided China's development strategy in Africa for much of the past 25 years, that's led to the construction of more than 100,000km of new roads across the continent. We wanted to find out, though, if it's true: does a new road actually pave the way for prosperity, as they say it does? So, we asked Malawi-based journalist Raphael Mweninguwe to visit two highways, the M1 and M26, to speak with local

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01:07:28

A Turbulent Week for China-Africa Media Narratives

The China in Africa Podcast ·

2025/08/08

Over the past week, sharply contrasting images of Chinese engagement in Africa surfaced online. Anger erupted on social media over the release of yet another violent video that shows Congolese soldiers brutally beating local miners purportedly at the behest of Chinese nationals watching in the background. A controversial hour-long documentary by one of Zambia's leading newspapers also sparked a lot of discussion over the labor and environmental records of Chinese mining companies in the country. The

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48:29

[WEEK IN REVIEW] China Invests in Angola to Secure...

The China in Africa Podcast ·

2025/08/01

Chinese construction giant Sinohydro signed a $100 million deal with Angola to build out the country's agricultural infrastructure in a bid to boost grain production. While 60% of the output from this venture will be shipped to China, the rest will be sold domestically in a move aimed at reducing the West African country's food import bill. The Sinohydro news followed an even larger agriculture announcement between the two countries when Chinese conglomerate Citic signed a $250 million contract to

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55:57

China’s Vital, Yet Poorly Understood Role in Africa’s...

The China in Africa Podcast ·

2025/07/24

After a two-to-three-year hiatus following the pandemic, Chinese money is once again flowing into the African energy sector. Billions of dollars in new investment and construction contracts for power facilities were registered in the first half of the year, particularly in Nigeria, according to new data published by Griffiths University in Australia and the Green Finance and Development Center in Beijing. These new contracts and investments will bolster China's already formidable presence in the

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46:02

How China Really Secures Its Loans to Developing...

The China in Africa Podcast ·

2025/07/17

The "debt trap" meme claims that China is intentionally lending vast sums of money to poor developing countries in Africa, and elsewhere, with the express intent to seize physical assets in those countries when they inevitably can't repay their debts. This fanciful narrative sounds compelling, but the problem is that there's literally no evidence from the past twenty years since China became the world's largest bilateral creditor to support the claim. It just isn't true. The reality of how China

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01:00:27

The Evolution of China-Africa Research and Where It’s...

The China in Africa Podcast ·

2025/07/11

A new generation of scholars is reshaping China-Africa research. More geographically diverse and digitally fluent than the field’s early pioneers of the 2000s, this cohort brings fresh perspectives and tools to the study of China’s engagement on the continent. Yet deep structural barriers persist. African and Chinese researchers still face sizable obstacles in shaping research agendas, as U.S. and European institutions continue to dominate decisions about what gets studied, who receives funding, and

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58:14

Lessons for Europe From China's Critical Minerals...

The China in Africa Podcast ·

2025/07/03

While the U.S., India, and countries in the Persian Gulf are all moving quickly to establish new critical mineral supply chains, the European Union is struggling to follow suit, particularly in Africa. The EU currently lacks a cohesive policy framework that would bolster mining companies, support partner countries, and encourage the development of a mineral processing sector that can lessen Europe's current dependence on China. To do this, the EU should follow China's model in Africa, where it

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40:45

It's Payback Time For a Lot of Those Chinese Loans

The China in Africa Podcast ·

2025/06/27

Borrowers in Africa and other developing regions are expected to repay $35 billion of Chinese loans this year, with two-thirds of the amount coming from the world's poorest countries. Many of these debts were taken out in the mid-2010s and are now exiting their grace periods, putting enormous pressure on government budgets that were already under strain. But this isn't a problem just for borrowing countries; Chinese creditors are also finding themselves in a difficult bind. If they push too hard to

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55:39

[GLOBAL SOUTH] China Forced to Regroup After...

The China in Africa Podcast ·

2025/06/26

China is emerging from the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran in a much weaker position. For years, Beijing counted on Tehran to serve as a bulwark against Washington. Today, though, that's no longer possible as the Iranian government and its proxies across the Middle East have been neutralized, at least for now. The conflict also exposed a major Chinese vulnerability following threats that Iran might close the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation for the attacks on its nuclear facilities. This would be

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428 results

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