How Zambia and China Co-Created a Debt ‘Tragedy of the Commons’
Zambia is a clear outlier among African borrowers for its high level of Chinese loan commitments relative to its economy and its outstanding debt. What explains this exceptionalism?
Assessing the Implications of the APRM’s Expanded Mandate
The core mandate of the AU’s African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) – initiated in 2002 and established in 2003 – is ‘to foster the adoption of policies, standards and practices leading to political stability, high economic growth, sustainable development and accelerated regional and continental economic integration’.
Russia’s efforts to promote cyber norms that serve its interests gain traction in Africa
A proposal by Russia that the United Nations should consider a global cybercrime treaty has been adopted with the support of 30 African countries, raising concerns that Moscow’s known preference for state cyber sovereignty will prevail in ways that give countries regulatory freedom to stifle political opposition or citizen dissent.
Lessons for Africa in Chinese SOE Governance
China’s state-owned enterprise (SOE) sector is vast and diverse. There are more SOEs in China than companies of all kinds in most African countries, and China’s state sector produces more and has grown faster than sub-Saharan Africa’s entire economy.
The BRICS’ lagging vaccine diplomacy
The COVID-19 pandemic has tested the BRICS countries’ collective strength, and found them largely wanting. The bloc has therefore missed a chance to bolster its advocacy of international governance reform, and casts doubt on its fitness for purpose in responding to critical global challenges.
China’s Digital Silk Road in Africa and the Future of Internet Governance
The Digital Silk Road (DSR) is a Chinese policy initiative launched in 2015. Six years later, there is relatively little concrete information about what it has achieved so far. This study offers a preliminary analysis of what the DSR entails in Africa.
Is nuclear part of the answer to sub-Saharan Africa’s electricity shortage?
In this opinion article, SAIIA’s Isabel Bosman argues that, despite its pitfalls, nuclear is still an avenue worth exploring to address sub-Saharan Africa’s electricity supply deficit.
Vaccine Diplomacy and Beyond: New Trends in Chinese Image-Building in Africa
In the face of growing tensions between the US and China, Beijing’s relationships with the Global South are taking on particular salience.
Lessons for Macroeconomic Policy from Nigeria Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has had severe impacts on Nigeria’s macroeconomy and the livelihoods of households.
China’s BRI and the AfCFTA: Potential Overlaps, Complementarities and Challenges
African countries have an opportunity to embark on more interconnected trade in the wake of the new African Continental Free Trade Area.