– Wadeisor Rukato

Part 1: Nairobi, Addis Ababa, Harare

This post is the first in a three-part series that reflects on Chinese migration to Africa. This is a slight switch up from our usual reflections on our experiences in China. I begin by sharing my experiences of ‘the interaction between China and Africa’ in my recent visits to Nairobi and Harare. The two posts that follow in this series will respectively focus on Chinese migration to Africa from a historical perspective, and a broad typology of Chinese migrants who have moved to the continent. An analysis of China-Africa relations through the complexities of migration brings a much needed human aspect to the forefront of a dynamic that is too often discussed in terms of billions of dollars and signed agreements.

During the just-ended winter vacation, I took a trip to both Nairobi and Harare. When I left South Africa in August 2015, I had not expected that I would visit home or a country in Africa until I had spent at least one year in China. Having just arrived back in Beijing, I am grateful for my travels back because I was able to practically engage with some of the things I had learned about China’s relations with African countries. Continue reading “Observations on China in Africa: A three part series.”