China and South Africa have built increasingly close ties over the years, with Chinese companies investing heavily in the country and South Africa remaining China’s biggest trading partner on the continent.

China and South Africa have built increasingly close ties over the years, with Chinese companies investing heavily in the country and South Africa remaining China’s biggest trading partner on the continent. But beyond the headlines and handshakes, what does this relationship really mean for South Africa and Africa? Is it a partnership of mutual benefit — or is there a more complicated story behind the growing influence of the world’s second-largest economy? Guest: Professor Adekeye Adebajo, Senior Research Fellow, University of Pretoria