Is the US making a real comeback in Africa to take on China?

The United States’ share of trade and investment in the continent has fallen over the last 20 years as China’s has expanded

Washington is banking on the Prosper Africa and B3W initiatives to help reclaim lost ground but there are obstacles to overcome, observers say

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Kenya’s standard gauge railway is a part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative. Photo: AP

Published: 6:00am, 1 Aug 2021Updated: 9:30pm, 1 Aug 2021

Two decades ago, the United States was the big player in Africa and China was a relative minnow.

US partners accounted for 15.5 per cent of trade with the continent, nearly four times the 4 per cent Chinese parties claimed.

Not any more.

Twenty years, a drive to expand overseas markets and a massive infrastructure push later, those roles have completely reversed, with the US’ share of trade dropping to 5.6 per cent in 2020 while China’s grew to 25.6 per cent, according to the Atlantic Council think tank.

China has also become Africa’s biggest bilateral lender, putting billions into road, rail, power and port construction.

To regain some of that lost ground, Washington has announced plans to revive Prosper Africa, an initiative launched in 2018 under the administration of former US president Donald Trump to expand investment and trade with countries on the continent and to counter China’s growing influence.

But analysts said China had a number of advantages and the US would need to make substantial commitments to have any chance of catching up.

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