How China's investment is reshaping Africa's digital landscape

NEW MODEL OF CO-OPERATION

- TIAN KUN

WHEN Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi made his first overseas tour of 2026 with visits to Ethiopia, Tanzania and Lesotho from January 7 to 12, he was not merely continuing a 36-year diplomatic tradition but reaffirming the importance that China places on engagement with Africa.

The visit underscores a substantive agenda for deepening cooperation in areas critical to long-term development, including digital infrastructure, innovation capacity and inclusive growth.

The strategic partnership with China has already reshaped Africa's development trajectory. And nowhere is this more visible than in the rapid expansion of its digital economy.

At the heart of this advancement lies a powerful partnership with China — one that combines advanced technology, financial support and deep policy engagement.

By helping establish mobile payment systems and smart cities, China is paving the way for African countries to leapfrog traditional development barriers and build the digital infrastructure of the future.

Reliable digital infrastructure is the foundation of a thriving digital economy. In the past decade, Chinese companies have laid hundreds of thousands of kilometres of fibre-optic cables across Africa, built thousands of mobile towers and helped establish regional data centres.

According to the “2025 Blue Book of China-Africa Economic and Trade Cooperation”, major Chinese-built data centres are now operating in Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa and Egypt, powering services from mobile banking to e-governance. China’s support has extended to 5G rollout, with Huawei and ZTE partnering with African telecom operators to establish SG networks in cities such as Johannesburg, Nairobi and Lagos.

These networks have enabled real-time connectivity, e-learning and telemedicine for millions of people.