On 6 November 2025, the Wits Centre for Journalism (WCJ) hosted a seminar on Africa-China relations that was attended by more than thirty academics, journalists, civic actors and business leaders from South Africa, Zambia, Kenya, Ghana and Senegal.
The seminar’s main objective was to build the capacity of news editors in understanding the dynamics of Africa-China relations.
The four themes of the event were: Understanding the Internal Policy Dynamics of China and the Implications for Africa and the World; Critical Minerals; China and the Global Economy; and the Geopolitics of Digital Technologies, including AI governance.
The seminar sought to make sense of Africa’s place and position in a shifting global geopolitical context where the rise of China has intensified the rivalry with the Global North.
Speakers at the event included Absa’s Stephen Seaka, Wits University’s Professor Emeritus Gilbert Khadiagala, University of Johannesburg’s Professor Admire Mare and Dr Emmanuel Matambo and Dr Grace Githaiga of KICTANET (Kenya). The keynote address was delivered by well-known human rights leader Deprose Muchena who was recently appointed Director – Resources Futures at the Open Society Foundations.
The WCJ is grateful to Eric Orlander and Dr Cobus van Staden of China Global South Project for the collaboration around this very productive seminar.