Affordable goods, infrastructure investments, and the perception of a ‘flexible cooperation’ with the continent seem to be winning over young African minds.
Last week I came across a study on a Bloomberg article that raised my attention to an issue that has crossed my mind many times in the past: the perception of the US and China in Africa. Given the polarising flagship message promoted during the Trump administration and the military influence of the US in virtually every conflict in the world, I had a feeling that sooner or later the Chinese narrative of new roads and affordable mobile phones would eventually pan out. Keep in mind that just like with political campaigns, surveys like this are almost exclusively about perception.
The study led by the Ichikowitz Family Foundation in South Africa revealed that 76% of 4,507 young Africans surveyed across 15 nations picked China as ‘the’ foreign power with the most positive impact on their lives. Some short 4 years ago when the study was first launched, the US was the leading influence for 83% of the respondents. The survey is a strong indication that China is winning the race for the hearts and minds of young Africans beating its international opponents like the US and the European Union.
Also read: Kenya to export black tea to china
Africa has the world’s youngest population and its growth prospects are acknowledged by developed countries as an important market for the future. In terms of perceived positive influence, the US has now slipped behind the UK and the European Union even with their negative colonial perception.
Nevertheless, not everyone sees China’s influence as a positive force. Of those surveyed 56% said they believed the unverified conspiracy theory that Covid-19 was developed and intentionally spread by the Chinese government. The survey also showed that there’s a growing concern with climate change, and discrimination against women, and ethnic minorities among the African youth.
32% of the respondents said they were excited and optimistic about the future of their countries compared with 43% in the 2020 survey. Angolans, Zambians, and Malawians were the most pessimistic of their countries while Nigerians had the dimmest view of the continent’s future. The top priority was job creation and more than half of those surveyed said they planned to emigrate in the next few years.
With the survey showing that young Africans have lost faith in their own governments, the time for the west to acknowledge this demographic is well overdue – like it or not, they are the continent’s leaders of tomorrow. It looks to me that perhaps the people that invented marketing and storytelling could borrow a page or two from China’s playbook.
