As it expands its media footprint in Africa, China pushes its agenda through a complex web of state-controlled platforms, partnerships with local news outlets and journalist training programs.
Some experts, however, are pointing to a growing backlash on the continent, as consumers grow in sophistication and a desire for independent media.
Researcher Mitchell Gallagher calls it a “war for Africa’s media soul.” He said China aims to control and change perceptions, entrenching the narrative of Beijing as a benevolent provider of resources and assistance in Africa.
“The ploy appears to be paying dividends, with evidence of sections of the media giving favorable coverage to China,” he wrote in a February 12 article for The Conversation Africa magazine. “But as someone researching the reach of China’s influence overseas, I am beginning to see a nascent backlash against pro-Beijing reporting in countries across the continent.”
Journalist Haruna Mohammed Salisu and researcher Idris Mohammed also recently examined China’s impact on the African media landscape.
“China has lavished funds on African media networks through platforms such as China Global Television Network (CGTN) Africa, and alliances with regional stations,” they wrote in a February 3 article published by the London School of Economics. “Beijing has encouraged a narrative of Africa-China cooperation based on reciprocity and non-interference. China has in the process veiledly entrenched narratives that distract from its own human rights record and totalitarian regime.”
A strategy of “media warfare” has been an official element of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its military policy since 2003. In Africa, the goal is to persuade the public and government officials to overlook negative impacts of the Chinese presence and adopt friendly stances and policies.
Harsh Pandey, a researcher with the School of International Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, said China began its international push to develop positive narratives in 2008.
“It started in Africa,” he wrote in a 2024 analysis for Indian business newspaper Financial Express. “China announced a whopping sum of more than $6 billion to make its presence felt in the global media landscape. It is developing different television satellites for Africa, clubbing African channels with Chinese channels and giving the audience a benign view of China.
“Additionally, China’s propaganda efforts centered on Africa have been effective in cultivating dozens of powerful African intermediaries who support China’s interests and image.”
The CCP uses a systematic approach to laundering propaganda through African voices, inviting thousands of journalists, bloggers and influencers to tour and train in China. Its multifaceted strategy revolves around recruiting and co-opting Africans to work at CCP-controlled agencies with lucrative salaries and promises of prestige.
“High-profile African media personalities are especially prized, lending the Chinese Communist Party’s propaganda an air of credibility when communicated through trusted local faces,” Ugandan news website PML Daily wrote in a 2024 analysis.
Along with CGTN, a key component in China’s strategy is the state-run Xinhua News Agency, which has 37 offices across the continent — more than any other media organization. Another is the StarTimes platform, which offers cheap satellite television packages. But its only international news channels are two 24-hour media outlets owned and operated by the CCP.
Whether through television, online or social media platforms, CGTN and Xinhua push the image of China as a benefactor.
“Amid this glowing coverage, the labor disputes, environmental devastation or debt traps associated with some Chinese-built infrastructure are less likely to make headlines,” Gallagher wrote.
There is growing skepticism and criticism, however. In Ghana, officials have expressed concern about Chinese media cooperation agreements with local outlets, and journalists have reported cases of Chinese-produced content being prioritized over domestic stories in Ghanaian media.
“In Kenya, voices of dissent are beginning to rise, and media professionals immune to Beijing’s allure are probing the true costs of Chinese financial undertakings,” Gallagher wrote. “In South Africa, media watchdogs are sounding alarms, pointing to a gradual attrition of press freedoms that come packaged with promises of growth and prosperity.”