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Africa

Africa
Africa
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Africa. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
Cargo containers and ships at a port in Qingdao, Shandong province, on March 3. Photo: AFP
China exports

China’s exports surge 21.8% to start 2026 – biggest gain in 4 years

Despite an 11 per cent drop in US exports, China’s trade soared, buoyed by robust demand from Asean, the EU and other markets.

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Kenya

Military deployed in Kenya after at least 23 die in flash floods in capital

DR Congo

DR Congo says least 200 dead in coltan mine collapse

US-China relations

Africa emerges as new arena in US-China competition over artificial intelligence

With a fast-growing digital economy and young population, the continent is becoming a critical front in the global race to shape AI’s future.

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Photo: Shutterstock
US, Israel war on Iran

Maritime mayhem: shipping firms halt Gulf routes amid regional military strikes

Rising tensions in the Strait of Hormuz see vessels diverted and bookings suspended, as companies impose emergency fees of up to US$4,000 per unit.

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Mergers & Acquisitions

How AI ‘scare trade’ is sparking an M&A rush by traditional firms, start-ups

AI start-ups and legacy firms clash in capital markets, spurring M&A as the technology reshapes industries.

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Hong Kong economy

Middle East conflict to drive up airfares for Hong Kong travellers: analysts

Suspension of major transit hubs in Dubai and Doha sends travellers scrambling for flights on ‘conflict-free’ paths to Europe.

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Travellers at Hong Kong International Airport. Analysts predict airline ticket prices will rise as carriers seek to offset higher expenses. Photo: Eugene Lee
Hong Kong transport

Hongkong Post’s airmail services to 24 countries affected by strikes in Middle East

Public postal service suspends airmail to Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates, affecting ‘services transiting through these locations’.

European Union

Belgium special forces seize Russian ‘shadow fleet’ tanker

The European Union has blacklisted hundreds of vessels in a bid to sap Moscow’s war chest.

China-Africa relations

Why US money may not be enough to break China’s rare earths dominance

Washington aims to spend billions in Africa to build up a strategic reserve of key minerals, but analysts warn it may not be so simple.

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US representatives were out in force at the recent African Mining Indaba in Cape Town. Photo: AFP
Science

When did our ancient ancestor Homo erectus first arrive in China out of Africa?

Researchers push back the timeline for their arrival by 600,000 years, raising new questions about how the species spread around the globe.

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A reconstruction of the Yunxian hominin skulls tested in the latest study. Photo: Xiaobo Feng
China-Africa relations

Opinion | China’s zero-tariff offer to Africa is a game changer

In contrast to Western proposals that come with strings attached, China has turned its own market into the main instrument of partnership.

China-Africa relations

How China’s ‘gifting’ of space infrastructure is a diplomatic tool in Africa

Analysts say Beijing is gifting space infrastructure as a form of soft power on the continent.

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Food and agriculture

Opinion | How China’s national food security push could reshape global markets

Amid increasing pressure from trade wars and climate change, Beijing is reframing agriculture as a matter of national security.

Farmers pick grapes in Xuzhou, Jiangsu province on June 6, 2025. Photo: VCG via Getty Images
China trade

As high-speed railways saturate China, how far can their global reach extend?

As Chinese giants eye Eurasia for new infrastructure, analysts speculate on what it will take to keep overseas projects from going off the rails in different host nations.

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A high-speed train leaves Tegalluar Station, located along the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway in Indonesia. Photo: Xinhua
US-China relations

Opinion | Pax Sinica vs Pax Silica: how China-US mineral war is taking shape

The US approach of deploying capital and diplomatic leverage must make up for China’s years-long head start in building its reserves.

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Ukraine war

Over 1,000 Kenyans recruited to fight for Russia in Ukraine war: report

Russian embassy denied Moscow’s involvement in illegally recruiting, though it said ‌foreign citizens could voluntarily join its forces.

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China-Africa relations

China helps Zimbabwe grow US$1.2 billion tobacco crop amid debt, health concerns

As Zimbabwe’s largest agricultural export and a primary foreign currency earner, tobacco dominates its trade with Beijing.

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Tobacco is Zimbabwe’s largest agricultural export and a primary foreign currency earner, dominating its trade with Beijing. Last season, it produced 352.7 million kilograms of tobacco. Photo: Getty Images
China-Africa relations

China says it won’t seek reciprocity with South Africa on zero-tariff policy

Envoy makes the pledge as Beijing prepares to roll out tax-free access to the Chinese market for goods from 53 African nations.

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China-Africa relations

Why China’s fast turnaround gives its projects an edge in Kenya over the West

A Kenyan investment agency says most projects signed off in 2025, including a steel processing plant were either operational or being built.

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United States

US civil rights icon Jesse Jackson dies at 84: ‘my constituency is the damned’

The Baptist minister’s two presidential runs helped lay the groundwork for the election of America’s first black president, Barack Obama.

Jesse Jackson addresses the “Fairness in Democracy” rally on December 6, 2000. Photo: AFP
China-Africa relations

How a punt on an unknown Chinese truck manufacturer paid off in South Africa

Chinese commercial truck builder FAW now outsells major Western and Japanese brands including Toyota, Daimler and Isuzu.

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According to data from naamsa, South Africa’s automotive business council, FAW became the country’s leading commercial truck brand in 2024 and maintained this top position through late 2025. Photo: Handout
Cambodia

Opinion | Cambodia’s scam factory survivors find no escape in freedom

A government crackdown freed thousands, but with no passports or support, survivors have simply traded captivity for destitution.

China-Africa relations

How a ‘military vacuum’ in West and Central Africa opened new markets for China

Beijing has increased engagement with countries in the Sahel following the French military exit, and with Russian weapons in short supply.

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Diplomacy

African Union: youth anger mounts over corruption, lack of accountability

Africa has the youngest population in the world, with more than 400 million people aged 15 to 35 years old – set to double by 2050.

A general view of flags of African Union member states inside the African Union Headquarters ahead of the opening of the 39th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union, at the AU Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Saturday. Photo: AFP
UAE

‘Surpassing Hong Kong’: UAE challenges Singapore for the global trade crown

With non-oil trade nearly doubling, analysts say the UAE has secured a first-mover advantage that leaves regional rivals trailing behind.

A container ship docked at the port of Jebel Ali, operated by the Dubai-based ports operator DP World. Photo: AFP
United States

US$35 million for 300: US deports migrants to remote islands, African nations

The bulk of the money – US$32 million – went to Equatorial Guinea, Rwanda, El Salvador, Palau and eSwatini.

Tourism

Missing French tourist in Chad found dead ‘after a fall’

The 70-year-old man had set off with a friend, also French, ‘without a guide’ to ‘explore the area’.

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