The China in Africa Podcast

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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.

Recent Episodes
  • Kenya Prez Ruto Shows Persistence Pays When Negotiating With China
    Apr 25, 2025 – 48:56
  • Zambia’s Kafue River Disaster Puts China’s Mining Record Under Fire
    Apr 18, 2025 – 43:47
  • [GLOBAL SOUTH] South China Sea Update: Will the U.S. Really Defend the Philippines Against China?
    Apr 14, 2025 – 45:55
  • WEEK IN REVIEW: Kenya Courts China While U.S. Sounds Alarm Over Beijing’s Reach in Africa
    Apr 11, 2025 – 01:15:45
  • The Fate of China's Global Supply Chains in the New Tariff Era
    Apr 9, 2025 – 40:31
  • China and the New World Trade War
    Apr 8, 2025 – 57:19
  • In China’s Wake, India Tries a Cleaner, Fairer Mineral Path in Africa
    Apr 3, 2025 – 57:59
  • Lessons From Southeast Asia on How to Manage Great Power Rivalries
    Apr 2, 2025 – 55:56
  • South Africa's Active Yet Unequal Trade With China
    Mar 28, 2025 – 45:36
  • WEEK IN REVIEW: Chinese Mining Disaster in Zambia
    Mar 21, 2025 – 01:00:10
  • China, Africa, and the Post-American World
    Mar 18, 2025 – 42:37
  • China, the U.S., and the Competition for Africa’s Strategic Resources
    Mar 13, 2025 – 55:05
  • Zimbabwe’s Fight for Responsible Mining: Lessons for Africa & China
    Mar 8, 2025 – 39:05
  • The End of the West and the Future of China
    Mar 4, 2025 – 58:32
  • Tracking China's Dominance of the Transition Minerals Trade
    Feb 27, 2025 – 44:19
  • Chinese AI, Automotive Tech Poised to Sweep Across Global South
    Feb 25, 2025 – 33:14
  • Navigating U.S.-China Rivalry: Africa’s Strategic Response in the Trump Era
    Feb 21, 2025 – 45:42
  • Debate: Is China a Helpful or Horrible Trade Partner for Global South Countries?
    Feb 19, 2025 – 58:47
  • The U.S. or China: South Africa May Soon Have to Choose
    Feb 13, 2025 – 50:27
  • [WEEK IN REVIEW] Who Gets to Tell the China-Africa Story?
    Feb 6, 2025 – 01:05:13
  • U.S. Aid Freeze Creates New Opening for China in Africa
    Jan 31, 2025 – 01:00:30
  • [GLOBAL SOUTH] China's Role in the Panama Canal Controversy
    Jan 28, 2025 – 46:20
  • Does Trump Help or Hurt China's Diplomacy in Africa?
    Jan 24, 2025 – 48:42
  • The World According to Marco Rubio
    Jan 17, 2025 – 01:07:44
  • China and the Global South in the Trump 2.0 Era
    Jan 16, 2025 – 55:08
  • Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi Wraps Up Low Key Africa Tour
    Jan 10, 2025 – 53:38
  • Why Views About China Are So Different in the Global North and South
    Jan 8, 2025 – 57:07
  • [DOUBLE EPISODE] 2024 China-Africa Year in Review
    Dec 25, 2024 – 01:28:46
  • Morocco is Now a Major Hub for Chinese Investment in Africa
    Dec 20, 2024 – 39:05
  • [GLOBAL SOUTH] Don't Expect a Resolution to the South China Sea Crisis in 2025
    Dec 16, 2024 – 47:00
  • Why Some African Countries Welcome Trump's Return to Power
    Dec 13, 2024 – 48:34
  • [GLOBAL SOUTH] "Some Improvement" But Still a Long Way to Go to Resolve China-India Border Tensions
    Dec 11, 2024 – 51:00
  • Fact-Checking International Media Coverage of Biden's Africa Tour
    Dec 6, 2024 – 01:14:10
  • [WEEK IN REVIEW] China's Role in Africa's Energy Transition and Biden's Angola Trip
    Nov 29, 2024 – 33:09
  • [GLOBAL SOUTH] China, Indonesia and the Great Power Competition for Transition Minerals
    Nov 26, 2024 – 52:07
  • Xi Took Center Stage at G20 While African Union Kept a Low Profile
    Nov 21, 2024 – 53:47
  • [GLOBAL SOUTH] Is China Building a New Military Base in Cambodia? Maybe. Probably.
    Nov 18, 2024 – 45:48
  • Chinese Lending to Africa is Way More Complicated Than You Think
    Nov 14, 2024 – 51:08
  • How Will Trump's Return to Power Impact China-Africa Ties?
    Nov 8, 2024 – 40:04
  • [GLOBAL SOUTH] Update on the State of the BRI in the New "Small and Beautiful" Era
    Nov 5, 2024 – 56:16
  • Chinese Companies Engage in Massive "Forest Looting" in the DR Congo
    Nov 1, 2024 – 39:44
  • [GLOBAL SOUTH] Power Shift: China’s Role in Central Asia’s Renewable Energy Transformation
    Oct 29, 2024 – 59:28
  • Stymied in the West, Chinese EV Brands Look to Expand in Africa
    Oct 24, 2024 – 41:19
  • [GLOBAL SOUTH] India Claims Major Breakthrough in Border Stand-off With China
    Oct 22, 2024 – 50:22
  • Global Gateway in Africa: Europe's Answer to China's Belt and Road
    Oct 17, 2024 – 01:00:03
  • [GLOBAL SOUTH] China's Paying a High Cost for Its "All-Weather" Relationship With Pakistan
    Oct 14, 2024 – 51:00
  • Judd Devermont on the State of U.S. Foreign Policy in Africa
    Oct 11, 2024 – 01:00:24
  • Beyond Railways and Ports: China's Evolving Lending Strategy in Africa
    Oct 8, 2024 – 51:52
  • Negotiating Chinese Infrastructure Deals: Lessons From Two African Countries
    Oct 4, 2024 – 39:16
  • Railroads and Rivalries in Southern Africa
    Sep 27, 2024 – 01:04:48
Recent Reviews
  • Listener88888
    Good Information
    It’s likely to challenge some of your ideas, but the hosts make a real effort to get to the truth about PRC investments in Africa, along with those of the West.
  • lrhhrl
    Cobus the lefty
    Is anything fair in Cobus’ mind? Risk premiums in Africa are unfair? Geeze. I guess a socialist can’t ever fairly analyze a financial transaction but cmon. Maybe Kenya deserves debt relief but not because the situation they got themselves into is unfair.
  • T Drinker
    Appreciate environmental updates
    Thank you for your insights and enthusiastic reporting. I appreciate the environmental reporting you have completed. Climate change and biodiversity loss cannot be separated from political discourse. And welcome back Cobus!
  • Emile123
    Guests usually great
    I like that most of the guests actually come from the Global South and bring along all their life experiences. I do think that Eric tends to rely on straw man arguments too often to characterize American discourse about China. It’s more nuanced than he reflects, and it usually sounds like he’s just characterizing the whole right wing of the Republican Party. Most American just don’t think about China that much and most people who do understand that the various issues are really complicated.
  • Traveler at large
    One of the best podcasts on this topic
    If not the very best. And I say that as someone who has worked in China and holds a degree in East Asian regional studies.
  • 😉💙🙃
    4 April 2023
    4 T’s, Tibet, Tiananmen Square, Taiwan, the Party? 4? Am I missing something?
  • Sarita7981
    Factual errors
    Incorrect information peddled as facts. The state department budget is way more than $20 billion. Please do some basic research. I listened to learn more about Africa. But I’m started to get bored. The same tired examples and complaints get hashed over and over, and there doesn’t seem to be enough new content. Consider shorter , less frequent episodes to keep the existing ones fresh with new content.
  • shd345
    tried to give it a fair listen but...
    there seems to be a sometimes latent , other times anti-Chinese bias in many of the episodes of this program.
  • Chin Kim
    No Black Africans But Informative
    They have a female indigenous African voice at the beginning and end of the podcast, but no Black African scholars, journalists, or China experts. As a result, albeit very informative, this podcast is quite colonial in nature. Non-native Africans talking about Africa reproduces White supremacy and European imperialism.
  • Edwile
    Gravitas and in-depth
    Great podcast. I like the gravitas and nuances surrounding discussions of complex Global Issues. I enjoyed the episode on the Global South’s debt problem. Your guest; Economist Ying Qian, was knowledgeable. The hosts : Eric and Cobus, are knowledge too. They come prepared. They ask pertinent and complex questions to their hosts hence engaging them.
  • 二的胡
    Great Podcast
    Eric and Cobus provide the best podcast on China’s influence in Africa. I would love more podcasts about clean energy infrastructure.
  • mkelley
    Amazing show, but Andy Mok, really?
    A truly comprehensive and critical series that is always well researched and presented. That’s why I was very confused by Andy Mok’s interview. Would be curious for a follow up conversation about that discussion.
  • MarkKramPump
    High quality and relatively unbiased!
    Extremely high quality podcast. Especially when Gyude Moore is on! :) recommended for anyone interested in contemporary China without the heavy blurred vision that either Chinese or American perspectives give you
  • Prince Ali 07
    Thorough, transparent, fair, interesting, and actually engaging!
    Simply amazing. Thorough, transparent, fair, and actually fun/interesting. You all do a fantastic job creating a holistic storyline and providing expert insights. I appreciate the thoroughness and the on-the-ground guests you bring on, who provide a real view of what’s actually happening in that country. Keeping up with China is difficult enough, you make it easy. Thanks for all you do, it’s truly appreciated!
  • Sci fi Reagan_84
    So informative
    As an expat in China, I’ve grown a keen interest in understanding the country I live in. The CIAP really gives me unique way of looking at China internationally from a non China/America focus. It’s very educational in an easy to listen to conversational format.
  • CH1378
    Communists kill
    One belt, one road was a vision to take over the world but is done. The release of the virus, nobody will do business with China again. The communist party will feed Xi to the dogs.
  • BKLYNINHK
    RIO Zim
    RIO Zim is not a subsidiary of Rio-Tinto. It was spilt off many years ago and is locally owned, they kept the Rio name.
  • Maxwell reviews
    Highly recommend this podcast
    The hosts are fun, smart, and provide objective analyses of the relationships between African Nations and China. Great podcast!
  • Lulz
    Much needed podcast
    The world needs to keep its eye on how China interacts with Africa now and in the future. Thanks for helping with this!
  • (:anne:)
    Focused reporting
    Thank you for focusing on a cultural and economic development that doesn’t get much news attention here in USA.
  • Fuzzy Socks
    Excellent
    Thank you for consistently delivering a balanced and objective content.
  • panzerlife
    Wonderful
    Great!
  • In BJ ; app is bad
    Good but...
    Great information and both Eric and Cobus are excellent. The only problem is that some of their Chinese presenters are subpar. I don't fault the podcast for this however, as they get good speakers from Africa. Oftentimes the Chinese that they interview sound like they are reading from a CCP script and unnatural. It detracts from their credibility greatly. In retrospect, I suppose this says more about the PRC than the podcast.
  • GinnieBrennie
    China in Africa is FASCINATING!
    Great podcast -- I listen while walking my dog and learn a lot.
  • 唐莉雅
    An excellent resource
    An engaging and thoughtful analysis of a range of issues in Sino-African relations. This podcast is an excellent source for discussions of topics of international significance often sidelined in American media.
  • bmccollo
    Micro and macro
    Unparalleled exploration of China's engagement across Africa from multiple perspectives, combining in-depth analysis and trends with great guests.
  • JLemien
    Great analysis!
    If you want to know what the Chinese government and Chinese business are doing in Africa, this is THE resource for you. These guys host timely podcasts on a wide variety of interactions between China and Africa, and they have a great collection of articles at their website, too!
  • JamesMnKC
    Best geopolitical and economic podcast!
    A fantastic podcast focusing on this most important but largely ignored by westerners topic. Each episode stands on its own, but there are continuing themes that are stressed throughout to provide continuity. Extremely balanced presentation of viewpoints. Inclusion of African, Chinese, and western “experts” (scholars, journalists, lawyers, et al) enhances what would otherwise still be a most credible examination of each topic discussed.
  • scumberw
    Excellent Podcast
    I love the mix that this podcast brings. They discuss all the different facets of Chinese-African relations and they do a good job of providing great nuance and perspective to the discussion.
  • Aciin
    An excellent podcast
    The hosts really capture the complicated nuances involved in China-African relations. Recommended to anyone with an interest in either Africa's development or China's role in the world economy.
  • cbus kid
    A jewel for anyone interested in China, Africa or international relations
    Thoughful, interesting, at times surprising and always relevant.
  • MzunguBentley
    Informative and interesting
    Eric and Cobus deliver great insight into the current state of Chinese involvement in Africa. Very interesting and pertinent information to all interested in Africa's future. Keep it up and thanks for delivering a great podcast
  • Spoilsport nancy
    yes
    Very happy to find this podcast. I look forward to each new podcast.
  • 1000101_Dude
    In depth commentary on the relationship of two often misunderstood regions
    This is a great podcast for anyone looking for intelligent and varied commentary on the African-Chinese relationship from multiple perspectives. Highly recommended.
  • Kikbo
    Unique, cutting-edge, and valuable
    China-Africa relations are overlooked in the west but will be critically important this century. This podcast is educational, informative and applicable to business, especially anything related to China or Africa.
  • cwsherman
    Informed analysis
    The 3 members of the podcast team are very well informed on China-Africa issues and cover very well issues that receive little attention in the US.
  • ansansansans
    China Africa Podcast is great!
    This is by far my favorite podcast! The most provocative analysis on China-Africa relations with fun personalities. Eric and Cobus are truly experts in this field.
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