Chinese agricultural experts have announced they intend to help boost the quality and yield of cassava varieties in Africa. The project was announced at the second Forum on China-Africa Cooperation on Agriculture, held in Hainan province in early November. Often referred to as the bread of the tropics, the carbohydrate-rich tuber, known as tapioca in…
South African authorities have announced construction on the Mtentu Bridge has begun. The R4.05 billion cantilever bridge will span the Mtentu River in the Eastern Cape’s Winnie Madikizela-Mandela municipality and, with an estimated height of 223 metres, will be the tallest on the African continent. Conceived by Danish architecture house, Dissing and Weitling, the Mtentu…
Egypt has announced receiving two Chinese-developed satellites for its newly-created space programme. The country joins a growing list of African and Middle Eastern nations, including Namibia, Zambia and Djibouti, looking to establish a presence in space. The prototypes were delivered to the Egyptian Space Agency’s Satellite Assembly Integration and Test Centre (AIT) in Space City,…
Kenyan authorities have reached out to Chinese businesses in a bid to improve their industrial production capacity by establishing manufacturing hubs and special economic zones (SEZ) nationwide. The developing nation is looking to attract investors from several sectors, including textiles, electronics, pharmaceuticals, lifts and elevators, and medical equipment. The initiative forms part of the East…
Zimbabwean authorities are considering a proposal made by the China Energy Engineering Corporation (China Energy) for a 1 000-megawatt floating solar farm on the southern African country’s largest water body, Lake Kariba. The nearly $1 billion project would ease the immense pressure on Zimbabwe’s energy grid which currently fails to meet even 50% of the…
A Chinese consortium will construct a $650 million toll road in the Zambian Copperbelt province, after several years of delay amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. The proposed 327-kilometre-long roadway joins the Zambian capital, Lusaka, with the country’s third most populous city, Ndola. Once complete, the dual carriageway toll road will form a reliable trade route between…
Chinese automotive firm, BYD, will supply the Zimbabwean government with 18 electric vehicles (EVs). The country seeks to showcase green energy as the world gradually phases out the production of traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. Zimbabwe’s Central Mechanical Equipment Department (CMED) is also enquiring about the purchase of electric buses for use in the…
Trade between Tanzania and its largest import-export partner, China, skyrocketed by nearly 25 per cent in 2022, as the two parties continue to reinforce diplomatic ties after 60 years of cooperation. Trade figures reached $8.32 billion in 2022, said Tanzanian ambassador to Beijing, Mbelwa Kairuki in February, addressing an audience in Hong Kong while promoting…
The small East African nation of Djibouti has secured a reported $1 billion in funding from Hong Kong to kickstart its space programme. The initial investment will see the establishment of a satellite and rocket launch facility, according to African Business. The government of Djibouti inked a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Hong Kong Aerospace…
Kenya has officially launched its long-awaited Nairobi Expressway after concluding months of trials. Kenyan president, Uhuru Kenyatta, announced the completion of the project at a ceremony in July, saying the 27-kilometre tolled highway would ease traffic flow and cut travel times significantly. The Nairobi Expressway was commissioned in 2019, six years into Kenyatta’s presidency. Also…