Inside China's expanding partnership with Africa

However, he cautioned that success will depend on preparation.

"You cannot simply walk into the Chinese market; you need to understand its structure and demands," he said, adding that attending exhibitions in China offers valuable insights into consumer preferences and market trends.

Africans, he said, are increasingly leveraging these opportunities by showcasing and promoting their products. Western countries previously adopted similar strategies, entering China to scale production before expanding globally, he added.

"If a product works well in Kenya, why not use the Chinese market of more than 1.4 billion people as a launchpad?" he said. "Success in China could pave the way for global expansion."

Meanwhile, 2025 has seen progress on several BRI projects reshaping Africa's connectivity and development landscape. These include new solar energy projects in Zambia, the upgrades to the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority, and Kenya's plans to extend the Standard Gauge Railway from Naivasha to Malaba.

In North Africa, construction is progressing on Morocco's Kenitra-Marrakech high-speed rail extension, while East Africa marked the opening of Tanzania's Magufuli Bridge, an engineering landmark enhancing regional transport connectivity across Lake Victoria.

Several deep-sea ports and logistics hubs were also completed or advanced during the year, underscoring China's continued role as a key partner in Africa's infrastructure transformation.

Cliff Mboya, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Johannesburg's Centre for Africa-China Studies, highlighted progress in implementing commitments from previous Forum on China-Africa Cooperation summits, highlighting a surge in green development projects across the continent.

"Chinese investment in electric vehicles, data centers and renewable energy is expanding, and technology transfer is underway," Mboya said, citing Kenyan students who recently graduated from cloud computing and internet of things programs at Chinese universities.

Based on current trends, he said many commitments made at the last FOCAC summit in Beijing in 2024 are likely to be fulfilled by the next meeting.

Green energy cooperation, particularly in Ethiopia, continues to gain momentum and aligns with the country's long-term development priorities, supported by dedicated financing mechanisms.

Innovative solutions

Mboya also noted a shift away from traditional sovereign lending toward public-private partnerships, with Chinese companies increasingly adopting such models and, in some cases, collaborating with European partners. This approach, he said, could help stabilize economic conditions and introduce more innovative infrastructure solutions.

He further pointed to China's support for multilateralism, reinforcing Africa's role in global governance amid geopolitical tensions.

Emmanuel Matambo, research director of the Centre for Africa-China Studies, said that he was encouraged by the 2024 FOCAC Beijing Summit's emphasis on skill development for Africa's biggest yet most underserved groups — women and youth.

He welcomed the focus on women's leadership, emphasizing a shift from ideological rhetoric to measurable, actionable commitments.

Matambo underscored China's move toward "small and beautiful" infrastructure projects, saying that smaller, privately managed initiatives are often more economically sustainable than some past mega projects.

"The private sector is Africa's main engine of growth and job creation," he said. "Expanding its role in strategic infrastructure is critical."

Dennis Munene, executive director of the China-Africa Center at the Africa Policy Institute in Nairobi, Kenya, highlighted the far-reaching effects of the BRI across the continent.

"While infrastructure ... often receives the most attention, the BRI's scope goes far beyond visible construction," Munene said.

He spoke of the initiative's financial dimension, saying African countries and other Global South nations have gained access to more affordable financing mechanisms to support development.

Regarding trade, he said China has remained Africa's largest trading partner for more than a decade, reshaping economies across the continent.

The BRI's emphasis on human capital — through scholarships, vocational training and capacity-building programs — has strengthened local communities and enhanced skills, he added.

Citing various reports, Munene said BRI-related activities are estimated to support hundreds of thousands of jobs annually, amounting to millions of opportunities since the initiative's launch.

"The impact is not just on GDP but on everyday lives," he said.

Peter Kagwanja, president and chief executive of the Africa Policy Institute in Nairobi, said Africa and China have completed one year of cooperation to advance modernization across six priority areas outlined at the 2024 FOCAC summit.

The event provided a blueprint for building an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future, Kagwanja said.

Kenya's Mombasa-Nairobi-Naivasha Standard Gauge Railway has contributed to increased investment, trade facilitation, technology transfer and industrialization, he said. Estimates by Kenyan institutions suggest the railway has raised GDP growth by about 1.5 percentage points, with further gains projected over the longer term.

During the 2025-27 period, he said, activity along the SGR economic corridor is expected to intensify as China and Kenya pursue additional infrastructure partnerships, subject to financing and implementation processes.

Talent development

Talent development and vocational exchange programs have also expanded. In August, China, in partnership with the African Union and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, hosted an international seminar on professional education management in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, under the Luban Workshop framework.

The seminar brought together experts, educators and African policymakers to explore ways to align vocational training with labor market needs.

Luban Workshops provide hands-on training in emerging technologies — including AI, cloud computing and the internet of things — helping bridge skill gaps and improve employment prospects for African youth.

Fredrick Otieno, a scholar on China-Africa relations in Kenya, said the workshops are providing practical skills aligned with local industries such as manufacturing, infrastructure and digital technology.

"These programs assist trainees in securing jobs in local industries, including Chinese-invested industrial parks as well as domestic enterprises,"Otieno said.