Podcasts · The China in Africa Podcast
If You Want to Get Rich, Build a Road. Testing China's Theory in Africa
· 25 min · S16 E55
Episode If You Want to Get Rich, Build a Road. Testing China's Theory in Africa
There's a Chinese proverb that says, "If you want to get rich, build a road first." That philosophy has guided China's development strategy in Africa for much of the past 25 years, that's led to the construction of more than 100,000km of new roads across the continent.
We wanted to find out, though, if it's true: does a new road actually pave the way for prosperity, as they say it does? So, we asked Malawi-based journalist Raphael Mweninguwe to visit two highways, the M1 and M26, to speak with local residents and shopkeepers about whether their lives have improved since the Chinese built these highways.
Raphael joins Eric from the Malawian capital, Lilongwe, to discuss his report that was published on CGSP this week and explain why the question about whether the road helped improve their lives doesn't have a simple answer.
SHOW NOTES:
• The China-Global South Project: Chinese-Built Roads in Malawi Bring Hope but Not the Riches Many Expected by Raphael Mweninguwe
JOIN THE DISCUSSION: X: @ChinaGSProject | @eric_olander
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProject YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ChinaGlobalSouth
Now on Bluesky! Follow CGSP at @chinagsproject.bsky.social
FOLLOW CGSP IN FRENCH AND ARABIC: Français: www.projetafriquechine.com | @AfrikChine Arabic: عربي: www.alsin-alsharqalawsat.com | @SinSharqAwsat
JOIN US ON PATREON! Become a CGSP Patreon member and get all sorts of cool stuff, including our Week in Review report, an invitation to join monthly Zoom calls with Eric & Cobus, and even an awesome new CGSP Podcast mug! www.patreon.com/chinaglobalsouth
Links in the notes 11
- https://chinaglobalsouth.com/analysis/malawi-chinese-road-investment-impact/
- https://twitter.com/chinagsproject
- https://x.com/eric_olander
- https://www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProject
- https://www.youtube.com/@ChinaGlobalSouth
- https://bsky.app/profile/chinagsproject.bsky.social
- https://www.projetafriquechine.com/
- https://twitter.com/afrikchine
- https://alsin-alsharqalawsat.com/
- https://twitter.com/SinSharqAwsat
- https://www.patreon.com/chinaglobalsouth
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