China and Africa are forging a transformative digital alliance, integrating 5G networks, smart city technologies, and cross-continental infrastructure to reshape global innovation. This partnership, rooted in decades of diplomatic and economic collaboration, has gained momentum under China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and Africa’s Agenda 2063, with digitalization emerging as a key driver of mutual progress.
Since establishing diplomatic ties with Egypt in 1956, China has steadily expanded its presence across Africa, transitioning from traditional infrastructure projects to cutting-edge technology collaborations. The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), launched in 2000, laid the foundation for joint digital initiatives. By 2007, China had invested over $3 billion in Africa’s ICT sectors. Today, through its Digital Silk Road initiative, China has built over 150,000 kilometers of communications networks and connected 700 million user terminals across the continent.
China’s Huawei and ZTE have been at the forefront of Africa’s 5G rollout, deploying networks in countries like South Africa, Kenya, and Nigeria. These efforts align with Africa’s urban modernization goals, exemplified by projects such as Rwanda’s Kigali Innovation City and Kenya’s Konza Technopolis. Huawei’s smart city solutions, which include AI-driven traffic management systems and facial recognition technology, are now operational in nine African countries, including Ghana and Zambia. “China’s tech transfers are bridging Africa’s digital divide,” said Costantinos Berhutesfa, a public policy professor at Addis Ababa University. “From undersea cables to data centers, these projects are catalysts for inclusive growth.” The 2Africa submarine cable project, a $3 billion initiative co-led by China Mobile, connects 33 African nations to global markets through a 45,000-kilometer network.
Under the 2024 FOCAC Action Plan, China pledged to support 20 digital infrastructure projects across Africa and establish a China-Africa digital technology cooperation center. This includes innovations like XAG’s smart agriculture drones and Huawei’s AI cloud center in Egypt. Additionally, China’s Luban Workshops have trained over 12,000 African technicians in AI and cloud computing since 2019. “Africa’s youthful population and China’s tech expertise create a symbiotic relationship,” noted Zhou Qian of Zhejiang Normal University. “This isn’t about dependency—it’s about co-developing solutions for shared challenges.”
Despite these advancements, some concerns persist. Critics argue that China’s emphasis on “digital sovereignty” risks exporting surveillance practices to African governments through smart city technologies. A 2024 ARTICLE 19 report highlighted transparency issues in public-private partnerships involving Chinese firms like Huawei.
Steven Bihinda, Rwanda’s renewable energy advisor, stressed the importance of balance: “Africa must leverage Chinese tech while safeguarding democratic values. The focus should be on skills development alongside infrastructure.”
Africa’s digital economy is projected to contribute $180 billion to GDP by 2025, underscoring the potential of this partnership. With Chinese-backed e-commerce platforms growing at an annual rate of 20% in countries like Kenya and Egypt and African startups securing $3.2 billion in funding in 2024 alone, the collaboration signals a shift from resource extraction to knowledge-driven growth.
As Dr. Yunnan Chen, a Sino-Africa analyst, concluded: “This isn’t just about smart cities—it’s about rewriting the rules of global tech innovation. Together, Africa and China are crafting a new playbook for the future.”
