Beijing, Washington, and Africa’s Fight to Write Its Own Story

Hadi Mrabet |

Image taken by author in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.

Greed has hollowed out Africa’s potential. For decades, leaders propped up by foreign patronage have traded resources for sovereignty at their people’s expense. 

Africa’s youth are no longer buying the performance. They see leaders cloak dependency in the rhetoric of Washington’s ‘altruism’ and Beijing’s ‘pragmatism,’ while corruption ensures the benefits never reach ordinary people. From the streets to the ballot box, young Africans are demanding that Africa’s wealth serve its people before it feeds distant capitals. African leaders must heed this message, and act accordingly to realise and fulfil the continent’s full potential.  

The United States (US) in Africa: Altruism by Design, Influence by Default

The US has long framed itself as Africa’s democratic ally, but its partnerships have always come with strings attached. The contradiction is most apparent under Donald Trump. He defended white Afrikaner farmers as victims of “genocide” while slapping a 30 per cent tariff on South African exports, a move that threatened more than 100,000 jobs. His selective empathy ignored the real crisis: a White minority of just 7.3 per cent still owns 73 per cent of the land, while the Black majority, 81 per cent of the population, owns only 4 per cent. A partner that preaches democracy but props up inequality cannot be trusted.

Moreover, in 2024, USAID delivered USD$6.5 billion in aid to sub-Saharan Africa, only for Washington to retreat into renewed isolationism. Schools and hospitals now face cuts not because Africa failed, but because America lost interest. For many young Africans, this reveals a brittle reality: when your safety net is stitched together by outsiders, it can unravel overnight.

The new generation is unimpressed by sermons on democracy delivered alongside tariffs and aid cuts. From Nairobi to Lagos, they are demanding partnerships that hedge US strategic mineral interests against Africa’s own development agenda, on terms set by Africans themselves.

China in Africa: Pragmatism without Preaching

Conversely China offers infrastructure without lectures. The Belt and Road Initiative delivered bridges, ports, and railways fast, without the moralising tone that the US is known for. For leaders eager to showcase progress, this pragmatism was a gift.

Nevertheless, Africa’s youth can see the cracks beneath the gloss. Chinese-backed projects often bypass local labour, import workforces, and ignore environmental safeguards, leaving countries saddled with debt, as in Zambia and Angola. Shiny airports and empty stadiums become political props, cloaking corruption in the language of development while inequality deepens at home.

The next generation is not impressed by glass houses. They want their leaders to pursue investments in people, namely education, jobs, and institutions that cannot be imported from abroad. Unless China trades prestige projects for people’s institutions, its legacy risks joining the long list of squandered promises in Africa’s history.

The Power of Trust over Performance

With over 60 per cent of the population under 25, African youth are reclaiming the unfinished project of liberation, and seeking a redistribution of voice, opportunity, and power. From #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria to grassroots movements in Senegal and Sudan, these young people are confronting a system built on elite political settlements. But protests alone will not be enough. Institutions must outlast leaders, and Pan-Africanism must no longer be mobilised as a shield for authoritarianism. After all, two of the world’s longest-serving non-royal leaders are in Africa: Teodoro Obiang Nguema (Equatorial Guinea) and Paul Biya (Cameroon).

Africans must hold onto hope without surrendering vigilance. Leaders like Burkina Faso’s Captain Ibrahim Traoré, whose anti-colonial rhetoric has electrified youth, must prove that their promises serve both their people and the continent. Otherwise, trust will remain hollow. 

Ultimately, African leaders must address the erosion of trust between themselves and their citizens. Foreign dependency only deepens this fracture, rewarding short-term performances of sovereignty while leaving institutions hollow. Without trust, Pan-Africanism is a performance. With it, it becomes a revolution.

Learning From the Past, Building the Future

Africa’s youth cannot afford to repeat the failures of their elders. Starting from behind is not a weakness but an opportunity to build institutions that cannot be hollowed out by patronage. China’s rapid growth shows that bold reform is possible, but Africa’s context and lesson is different. Progress must strengthen people and institutions, not just showcase projects that collapse once the cameras leave.

This generation already recognises performance politics. They know their leaders trade unity for patronage, and contest when foreign powers disguise dependency as partnership. From the ballot box to the streets, young Africans are demanding systems that serve citizens rather than leaders. Leaders like Ibrahim Traore are winning trust, but that trust will only hold if his record proves he can channel resources into people and institutions, not empty promises.

Africa’s population is projected to increase by 950 million and reach 2.5 billion people by 2050. That scale ensures youth are not a side note to be marginalised, they are the centre. The next chapter will not be dictated by China or the US. It will be written in Africa, by a generation unwilling to perform, and determined to govern.

Hadi Mrabet is a student of International Studies and Communication at the University of Technology Sydney, majoring in Chinese studies and political science. With experience living in China, Morocco, and Australia, he brings a cross-cultural lens to questions of diplomacy and development.

Hadi’s passion and engagement in the African continent stems from his Berber/ Moroccan heritage. Having lived in Morocco and travelled throughout Africa, his understanding of African history and cultures is grounded in lived and learned experiences. He has a keen interest in the rapid economic growth of Africa, the next generation of Africans, and the growing Pan-African movements that will determine the region’s future.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Young Australians in International Affairs. All content is original, and no plagiarism has been used in the preparation of this article.