Two months ago, the Southern African Tourism Services Association (Satsa) said anxiety about South Africa’s new visa regulations was keeping tourists away, especially those from the key markets of China and India. However, those regulations were yet to take effect,… Continue Reading
By 2010, according to Elliot Ross’ ‘China’s Stadium Diplomacy in Africa’ (published by Roads and Kingdoms in 2014), there were 50 stadiums across Africa built with Chinese government support. “If you want to see the heart of China’s soft-power push into Africa,” Ross writes, “you’ll find it in the continent’s new soccer stadia.” China builds a stadium at a relatively low cost, local politicians present it as proof of their development efforts, and China (and Chinese businesses) is rewarded with access to political leaders. Continue Reading