The China in Africa Podcast [CGSP FORUM] Africa's Energy Future and China: Gauging the Price of Power
Oct 17, 2025
Frangton Chiyemura, an international development lecturer, Wei Shen, a research fellow focusing on African electrification, and Adjekai Adjei, an energy finance expert, delve into China's transformative role in Africa's energy landscape. They discuss China's $33 billion investments across 30 countries and the crucial pivot toward renewable energy sources like hydropower and solar. The experts emphasize the importance of data transparency for effective negotiations and share insights on balancing the benefits of Chinese investments against potential dependency risks for African nations.
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China's Scale In African Power
- China invested about $33 billion in ~32 GW of power projects across 30 African countries between 2020–2024.
- This makes China an indispensable and large-scale player in Africa's energy sector.
Renewables Lead Chinese Projects
- The majority of identified Chinese projects are renewables, led by hydropower then solar.
- This signals a real strategic pivot away from fossil-first models toward green energy in Africa.
Flexible Financing And Tech Supply
- Chinese actors show financing flexibility: projects can be funded by Chinese or non-Chinese financiers while Chinese firms still supply technology.
- This adaptability expands Chinese influence beyond just financed projects to technology and implementation roles.