The China in Africa Podcast

South Africa's trade relations with the United States are under strain, threatening its access to the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). As Washington weaponizes tariffs and market access, Pretoria faces mounting pressure to diversify its economic partnerships.
Beijing's zero-tariff initiative offers African exporters new opportunities, but China-Africa trade remains heavily concentrated in raw materials. For African governments, the challenge is to turn strategic resources, critical minerals and geographic advantages into genuine economic leverage through industrialization, regional integration and stronger domestic capabilities. Diversifying international partnerships will require more than diplomatic maneuvering; it demands the infrastructure, skilled workforces and political coordination to capture greater value.
Ronak Gopaldas, Director at geopolitical risk consultancy Signal Risk and Visiting Fellow at the London School of Economics, joins Eric and Geraud to discuss great-power competition in Africa, South Africa's trade dilemma, and how African countries can leverage U.S.-China rivalry to advance their economic interests.
📌 Topics covered in this episode:
South Africa's Trade Ties With Washington Strained
AGOA Access and Washington's Use of Tariffs
China's Zero-Tariff Initiative and African Export Opportunities
China-Africa Trade and the Challenge of Industrialization
Africa's Economic Diversification Amid U.S.-China Competition Intensifies
Regional Integration and Building Domestic Industrial Capacity
Join the Discussion:
X: @ChinaGSProject | @eric_olander | @RonakGopaldas | @cgneema | 
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProject
YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ChinaGlobalSouth
Now on Bluesky! Follow CGSP at @chinagsproject.bsky.social
Follow CGSP in French and Spanish: 
French: www.projetafriquechine.com | @AfrikChine
Spanish: www.chinalasamericas.com | @ChinaAmericas

Africa is projected to grow by 4.6% in 2026, potentially outpacing China for the first time in decades. But faster GDP growth does not necessarily translate into rising living standards. Resource-dependent economies, persistent extreme poverty and rapid population growth continue to limit the gains ordinary Africans see from economic expansion.
Industrialization presents another challenge as Chinese manufacturers dominate global production and African countries remain heavily dependent on commodity exports. Building regional markets, processing critical minerals locally and leveraging Chinese investment could help diversify African economies. The challenge is creating enough productive jobs for millions of young people entering the workforce while navigating an increasingly polarized global order.
Jakkie Cilliers, head of the Africa Futures and Innovation Program at the Institute for Security Studies, joins us to discuss Africa's path to prosperity and how African countries can balance economic development, political stability and democracy.
Show Notes:
Amazon: Africa's Road to Prosperity: 10 Things to Know by Jakkie Cilliers
Financial Times: Can Africa outgrow China? by David Pilling
📌 Topics Covered in This Episode
Africa's Growth Boom: Why Prosperity Remains Elusive
Can Africa Industrialize While China Dominates Manufacturing?
China, Critical Minerals, and Africa's Industrial Future
Africa's Demographic Dividend and the Battle for Jobs
Democracy, Stability, and Africa's Path to Prosperity
Join the Discussion:
X: @ChinaGSProject | @eric_olander | @stadenesque | @cgneema | @JakkieCilliers
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProject
YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ChinaGlobalSouth
Now on Bluesky! Follow CGSP at @chinagsproject.bsky.social
Follow CGSP in French and Spanish: 
French: www.projetafriquechine.com | @AfrikChine
Spanish: www.chinalasamericas.com | @ChinaAmericas

China is deepening its engagement with Africa as geopolitical competition intensifies, with President Xi Jinping meeting the leaders of Botswana and Togo in Beijing. The visits highlight Beijing's sustained diplomatic outreach and growing interest in African copper supplies, alongside its push to strengthen trade and mining partnerships.
Yet access to mineral wealth does not automatically translate into economic development. African governments face the challenge of converting mining revenues and value addition into industrial diversification, infrastructure and jobs. In the energy sector, Chinese investment could also help connect national electricity grids, but realizing that potential will require stronger regional coordination and planning.
In this week's episode of the CGSP Roundtable, Eric, Geraud and Cobus discuss China-Africa diplomacy, strategies for maximizing Chinese investment in electricity integration, and the continuing debate over China's role in Africa's debt burden.
Show Notes:
YouTube: The 'China Debt Trap' Was Never Real. Here's What's Actually Happening by Uptin
SAIIA: Expanding China's Role in Africa's Electricity Integration by Cobus van Staden
📌 Topics Covered in This Episode
China Deepens Diplomatic Engagement With African Leaders
Botswana's Copper Reserves and China's Mineral Strategy
Who Benefits From Africa's Mineral Wealth?
China's Role in Africa's Future Electricity Grid
Rethinking China's Role in Africa's Debt Crisis
Why the China Debt Trap Narrative Persists
Join the Discussion:
X: @ChinaGSProject | @eric_olander | @stadenesque |  @cgneema 
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProject
YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ChinaGlobalSouth
Now on Bluesky! Follow CGSP at @chinagsproject.bsky.social
Follow CGSP in French and Spanish: 
French: www.projetafriquechine.com | @AfrikChine
Spanish: www.chinalasamericas.com | @ChinaAmericas

China-Africa security cooperation is expanding beyond military ties into cross-border law enforcement, as Chinese-linked telecom fraud operations spread across Africa. Joint investigations, intelligence sharing and police partnerships are becoming increasingly important as governments confront scams targeting victims worldwide, including in China and the United States.
Meanwhile, Africa's new credit ratings agency aims to challenge assessments that critics say overstate the continent's investment risks and increase borrowing costs. Its influence will depend on whether investors and banks accept its methodology, including in China's capital markets. Both developments reflect a broader push to strengthen African agency and reshape international systems, even as China's engagement shifts toward more targeted cooperation rather than headline-grabbing loans.
Géraud Neema, Eric Olander and Cobus van Staden discuss China-Africa police cooperation, the credibility of Africa's new credit ratings agency, and what these shifts could mean for the next Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).
📌 Topics Covered in This Episode
China-Africa Police Cooperation and Telecom Fraud
Chinese Law Enforcement's Expanding Role in Africa 
Africa's New Credit Ratings Agency Explained
Can African Credit Ratings Challenge Western Financial Power?
What to Expect From the Next FOCAC Summit
Join the Discussion:
X: @ChinaGSProject | @eric_olander | @stadenesque |  @cgneema 
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProject
YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ChinaGlobalSouth
Now on Bluesky! Follow CGSP at @chinagsproject.bsky.social
Follow CGSP in French and Spanish: 
French: www.projetafriquechine.com | @AfrikChine
Spanish: www.chinalasamericas.com | @ChinaAmericas

The DRC's cobalt industry is also moving uranium through global supply chains, creating a problem that extends beyond critical-minerals security. Researchers estimate that 2,000–5,000 tons of uranium may have left the country as a byproduct of cobalt production, raising questions about nuclear-security risks, environmental exposure, and the traceability of mineral exports.
The challenge is persistent rather than catastrophic: uranium occurs naturally alongside DRC cobalt and can remain in cobalt hydroxide even when companies follow existing processing standards. Weak shipment-level monitoring and inconsistent reporting leave uncertainty over where the uranium goes and how it is handled after reaching China and other markets.
Ryan Manzuk, Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Program on Science and Global Security, joins Cobus and Geraud to analyze uranium contamination in DRC cobalt exports, including nuclear-security implications, environmental and worker exposure, and measures to improve traceability and local processing.
📌 Topics Covered in This Episode
Uranium contamination in DRC cobalt exports
China's role in cobalt supply chains
Nuclear security risks from uranium exports
Environmental and health risks for miners
Traceability, regulation, and local processing
Show Notes
Nature Communications: Uranium in cobalt-hydroxide exports from the Democratic Republic of the Congo by Ryan A. Manzuk & Sébastien Philippe
Join the Discussion:
X: @ChinaGSProject | @stadenesque |  @cgneema 
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProject
YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ChinaGlobalSouth
Now on Bluesky! Follow CGSP at @chinagsproject.bsky.social
Follow CGSP in French and Spanish: 
French: www.projetafriquechine.com | @AfrikChine
Spanish: www.chinalasamericas.com | @ChinaAmericas