Nature and impact of Chinese and South African engagement on the development of the City of Lusaka

Li, Hangwei / Gilbert Siame
External Publications (2020)

in: The African Review 47 (2), 311-335

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1163/1821889X-12340021
Information

As Zambia’s chief administrative centre and a major financial, transportation, and manufacturing hub for the country, the City of Lusaka has become one of the fasted growing cities in Southern Africa. Encouraged by the Chinese government’s ‘going out’ policy, Chinese investment and trade with Zambia have risen dramatically since the 2000s. Chinese investment is increasingly shaping the growth of Lusaka City and its hinterland in significant ways. On the other hand, South Africa as a regional geo-economic power has also amplified its strategic engagement with Lusaka. The paper explores how these two geo-economic powers have shaped the development of the City of Lusaka. Findings show that investments from South Africa into the City are private capital backed and are predominantly in the retail and real estate sectors. Chinese engagement in the city are dominated by large government-related construction projects, which have often been state-backed. Analysing the findings through the lens of urban assemblage and polarisation, the paper argues that the City is increasingly becoming more socio-spatially divided with the poor being more adversely affected by the nature and location of investments.

About the author

Li, Hangwei

Political Science