This piece explores how engagements with global powers unfold, the complexities they introduce, and what can be done to enhance African agency globally.

Africa’s strategic importance has long attracted the interest of global powers and is regaining momentum in recent years. The involvement of global powers like the US, China, Russia and European nations brings opportunities and challenges for African states. This piece explores how these engagements unfold, the complexities they introduce and what can be done to enhance African agency globally.

In the past two decades, China moved from being a marginal player in Africa to rising to a level of central importance despite a recent decline in investments and loans. China’s Belt & Road Initiative has significantly increased its presence on the continent through extensive infrastructure projects, trade relationships and strategic investments. This is evidenced by trade growing from $11.67-billion in 2000 to $257.67-billion in 2022, making it the largest bilateral trading partner of the continent.

The US, facing challenges in maintaining its influence in regions like West Africa, has eroded its position due to fractured relationships and policy missteps, particularly by its ally France but also by others. These missteps created security and economic gaps that have created openings for Russia and China to fill, bringing new approaches and narratives. Russia’s recent re-engagement with Africa, for instance, started from a low base after a significant distancing period in the 1990s and 2000s and it sees itself attempting to build influence primarily through security arrangements and political linkages.

Many African countries no longer consider traditional Western official development assistance tools enough; they want more investments and equal partnerships. The ongoing negotiations to extend the US African Growth and Opportunity Act until 2041, which grants trade concessions to Africa, have an evident geopolitical dimension.

African countries have looked to diversify their international relations, aiming to reduce dependency on traditional global powers while cautiously avoiding becoming pawns in more significant geopolitical disputes. This desire for diversification is evident in Africa’s engagements with China, Russia and other international players, shifting from Western-dominated trade to a more globally diverse economic landscape.

The historical context of Cold War power struggles, which led to devastating consequences in the Global South, has made African states wary of aligning too closely with any single power bloc. Today, African countries are wary of repeating these historical mistakes. The conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine have underscored the risks of being drawn into global competitions that do not always align with African interests. The pressure to take sides following the Ukrainian invasion and the contrasting limited response of the Western countries to the Gaza conflict highlights the need for African countries to maintain autonomy and flexibility in their international positions.

For the Global South, particularly Africa, non-alignment is not about neutrality but preserving autonomy and options in a fragmented global order. This approach allows for diversified interactions with the North, East and South, enhancing leverage and maintaining a strong voice in international affairs. The desire of many countries to join groups like BRICS is driven by the need to retain these choices rather than an inherent anti-West stance. The fragmented global order increasingly highlights the transactional nature of international relations, reflecting the current geopolitical landscape more than any cynicism towards values.

If relations are to be rebuilt, global powers must build partnerships focused on shared challenges such as economic development, security cooperation, climate change and public health. Africa’s history of being used as a proxy in global disputes has fostered distrust and discomfort with narratives reinforcing this role. The US strategy for Africa, which frequently references China and Russia, must shift towards building genuine partnerships and investments.

To regain influence in Africa, global powers must approach the continent on its own merits rather than counter the roles of one another. The US and other Western nations face a significant challenge in regaining influence in Africa, mainly related to a trust deficit. Such a limited trust comes from the historical approach of viewing Africa primarily as a battleground for countering countries like China and Russia. This entails recognising Africa’s unique challenges and opportunities and engaging with African nations as partners rather than pawns. 

Global powers’ engagement with Africa requires a careful balance between interests and autonomy. By understanding and navigating these relationships, African countries can enhance their agency on the global stage. They must rethink their strategies, moving beyond the simplistic framework of geopolitical competition. Only through such an approach can a more balanced and sustainable engagement with Africa be achieved, benefiting all parties involved.

A prime example of how global competition can be balanced for mutual benefit is the Lobito Corridor initiative, connecting the Angolan Atlantic coast to the mining areas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia. Initially developed by the US and later attracting other complementary Chinese investments, this project demonstrates that regional developments can foster tangible benefits to the continent without necessarily becoming an either-or proposition.

This approach highlights how African countries can attract investments that serve their interests while navigating complex geopolitical dynamics. As African countries increasingly seek to leverage competing interests to their advantage, they are reshaping the landscape of international engagement and development on the continent.

For African countries, pursuing autonomy is not merely about avoiding alignment but strategically leveraging relationships to maximise benefits and minimise risks. This approach allows for more diversified and resilient international engagements, enabling African states to navigate the complexities of the global order more effectively.

Several concrete steps can be taken to enhance African agency amid global power competition. First, African countries should prioritise strengthening the capacity of regional bodies like the AU to spearhead the continent’s relations with international powers. Thus, the AU should play a central role in negotiating its development in the wave of multiple Africa-Country Summits, like the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), the US-Africa Leadership Summit and the Russia-Africa Summit. When international powers engage bilaterally with individual African countries rather than with a unified African bloc, it reduces Africa’s collective agency. By presenting a united front through institutions like the AU, African nations can better leverage their collective bargaining power and ensure that development initiatives align with pan-African interests.

Second, African nations should strive to diversify their international partnerships, engaging with a range of global powers to avoid over-dependence on any single actor. In doing so, they should push for principles of engagement that ensure tangible benefits for the countries. It’s not simply playing global powers against one another; it is to define clear criteria on how relations with external powers (irrespective of who they are) should engage with the continent. Finally, Africa’s primary source of leverage will be development and economic growth. Hence, processes like increasing complementarity between African countries, such as through the African Continental Free Trade Area, are essential to strengthen the continent’s capacity, voice and reach.

For global powers, this means shifting towards less patronising partnerships that respect and address African interests and needs. They must move beyond viewing Africa solely through the lens of great power competition and instead focus on building mutually beneficial partnerships. Their investments in Africa should prioritise long-term sustainable development rather than short-term resource extraction. Such an approach can only achieve a more equitable and sustainable international system, ensuring that Africa is not merely a battleground for global competition but a proactive player in shaping its destiny.

Research by Gustavo de Carvalho

The views expressed in this publication/article are those of the author/s and do not necessarily reflect the views of the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA).