China's Role in the African Infrastructure Financing Crisis

The China Africa Project

African infrastructure financing is facing a crisis. Financing levels have plunged from $100 billion a year in 2014 to just $31 billion last year, according to a new report published by the international law firm Baker McKenzie. This is a massive setback for the continent that's been working hard to fill a gaping infrastructure deficit the AfDB conservatively estimates is valued somewhere around a trillion dollars over ten years. And the situation has been made worse by the dramatic pullback in overseas development financing from China's two largest policy banks that have been the dominant funders of African infrastructure over the past 5-6 years. Wildu du Plessis, head of Baker McKenzie's Global Africa Practice and a co-author of the report, joins Eric & Cobus to discuss the current state of African infrastructure financing and why, despite the current challenges, he nonetheless remains optimistic about the future. JOIN THE DISCUSSION: CAP on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProject Twitter: @eolander | @stadenesque SUBSCRIBE TO THE CAP'S DAILY EMAIL NEWSLETTER Your subscription supports independent journalism. Subscribers get the following: 1. A daily email newsletter of the top China-Africa news. 2. Access to the China-Africa Experts Network 3. Unlimited access to the CAP's exclusive analysis content on chinaafricaproject.com Try it free for 30-days and see if you like it. Subscriptions start at just $7 a month for students and teachers and $15 a month for everyone else. Subscribe here: www.chinaafricaproject.com/subscribe