Nobody cares about Africa.
Well, that's not entirely true.
Many do care—but the ones who care are either those of us who live here, or the oligarchical classes who want Africa's resources for their own gain. I’m an African and I live in Africa. South Africa is my home, and always will be. I don’t intend on leaving.
Visiting the Kruger National Park in March 2026
Amidst the African chaos, there's a sense of freedom—one I've been unable to find anywhere else in the world.
And the beauty.
I can't ignore the beauty.
Creating deflections
I often hear that China is taking over Africa.
You’ve probably heard it—maybe even said it.
First, is it true? And second, where does this idea come from, and what’s it really based on? Here is a typical headline:
Notice the bit about debt traps and geopolitical ambitions. Surprise, surprise—it comes from NATO's website.
The origins of most anti-China sentiment are rooted in Western propaganda, which in turn is driven by Western intelligence agencies and disseminated through governments, media, and academia.
Am I anti-West?
Of course not.
But I believe, like the Roman Empire, the West is crumbling culturally, politically, and financially—and it's largely its own fault, driven by its celebration of immorality, degeneracy, superficiality, hyper-liberalism, junk food, Hollywood, feminism, LGBTQ, egalitarianism, wars and expansionism, and more.
The demoralisation process in the United States is basically completed already… Most of it is done by Americans to Americans, thanks to lack of moral standards.
— Yuri Bezmenov, 1984 interview with G Edward Griffin
Sure, outside influences have played a role (and in some cases, a huge role), but you’ll never get anywhere if you don’t take responsibility for yourself.
For example, during the Covid era, many were duped into thinking that lining up like cattle to get branded on the arm was a good idea. But I wasn't one of them. I didn't get jabbed. Heck, I didn't even get a PCR test. I took responsibility for myself.
By creating distractions and shifting blame, American, British, and European interests have worked hard to paint a false picture of Africa—one that hides their enduring control and declining influence.
In this weekly UK Column 'banter' with Mike Robinson and Charles Malet, we break down how it’s actually Western interests that have controlled Africa, still control it, and aim to keep controlling it in the future.
Some data points
In the discussion, I mention a few glaringly significant historical moments that many people overlook.
Mining and minerals
Anglo American — founded in 1917 with direct political and financial backing from both the British and US governments — spent the 20th century consolidating control over the richest gold fields in South Africa, then swallowed up Cecil Rhodes' diamond empire De Beers on top of that.
By 1970, Anglo American owned South Africa's five biggest mining houses and held major shares in five of the top ten manufacturing companies. By the time apartheid ended in 1994, the company controlled more than half of all private industry in South Africa.
In the DRC, the story is similar but with cobalt and copper instead of gold and diamonds. The country sits on an estimated $24 trillion in untapped minerals, including 60% of the world's cobalt supply — essential for every iPhone, Tesla, and Samsung device around the world.
Western-owned mining houses profit an estimated $335 billion annually from African operations.
'The origins of most anti-China sentiment are rooted in Western propaganda.'
What about oil?
Angola's offshore oil fields are operated by Chevron (US), TotalEnergies (France), and Eni (Italy) — the same Western countries that backed Angola's enemies during its civil war.
The profits don't stay in Angola.
Western corporations including Shell, ExxonMobil, BP, and ConocoPhillips dominate African oil and gas, remitting profits back to their home countries and leaving behind environmental damage and poverty.
Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea, Sudan, and Angola are all textbook cases of this model — resource-rich countries where the wealth flows outward.
Attempts to overthrow governments
Consider the Congo.
In 1960, Patrice Lumumba — the Congo's first democratically elected Prime Minister — was removed in a CIA-backed coup, transferred to enemy territory in a CIA-approved operation, and shot dead by Congolese assassins.
In his place, the US helped install Western puppet Joseph Mobutu, who then misruled the country for over three decades, looting it while Western interests extracted its resources undisturbed.
During America's so-called 'war on terror', at least 15 US-trained military officers were involved in 12 coups across West Africa and Northern Africa. The countries include Burkina Faso (four coups: 2014, 2015, and twice in 2022), Chad (2021), Gambia (2014), Guinea (2021), Mali (2012, 2020, 2021), Mauritania (2008), and Niger (2023). In Niger's 2023 coup, at least five of the coup leaders had received US military training, and they then appointed five more US-trained officers as regional governors.
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The French currency control
France never really left Africa — it just changed the mechanism.
Around 14 African countries still use the CFA franc, a currency that remains under the legal tutelage of the French Treasury and is pegged to the euro. It gives France enormous leverage over monetary policy in Africa.
This is the system François Mitterrand was referring to when he said France would be irrelevant to 21st-century history unless it maintained its control of Africa.
Where is China?
There are obviously many, many more data points available, but I see China in very few of them.
I’m not saying China has no influence or interest in Africa—it certainly does—but the whole narrative feels like a ‘look over there!’ game to protect the heavyweight players.
As someone who lives in Africa, I see good trade relations with China, and that benefits my family. Cheaper products mean more money in my pocket. My car, for instance, is Chinese. But so what? Most of the technology people everywhere use is Chinese.
Does that mean China is trying to take control of Africa?
If so, it's a pretty flimsy case—especially when half of my country is still controlled by Anglo American. And let's not even mention Vanguard and BlackRock.
Take a listen to my conversation with Mike and Charles.
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