In CGSP’s first-ever China–Africa Energy Forum, Managing Editor Cobus van Staden hosts three leading experts to explore how Chinese finance, technology, and policy are transforming Africa’s power landscape:

Frangton Chiyemura
Lecturer in International Development, Open University
Wei Shen
Research Fellow, Institute for Development Studies
Adjekai Adjei
Non-Resident Fellow for Africa, The China-Global South Project

Drawing on CGSP’s new China–Africa Energy Tracker and a groundbreaking report "Powering Africa: China’s Expanding Role in the Continent’s Energy Future," the panel examines $33 billion in Chinese energy investments across 30 African countries, the rise of renewables, and the shift from “big infrastructure” to “small and beautiful” projects.

🔹 00:00 Introduction — Launch of CGSP’s China–Africa Energy Forum & Energy Tracker
🔹 05:20 China’s $33B in African power projects: scope and strategy
🔹 14:10 The pivot to renewables: hydropower, solar, and green innovation
🔹 26:45 Financing models, data transparency, and technology transfer
🔹 39:10 Balancing opportunity and dependency in the energy transition
🔹 50:00 Mining, electrification, and the “small and beautiful” Belt and Road
🔹 1:02:00 Audience Q&A — policy, finance, and the future of Africa’s grids

Originally broadcast live on YouTube, LinkedIn, X, and Facebook, this conversation kicks off CGSP’s new global discussion series on China’s role in the Global South.

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X: @ChinaGSProject | @eric_olander | @christiangeraud

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProject
YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ChinaGlobalSouth

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