IDOS 8d ago

💡 How do African actors, especially bureaucrats, shape Chinese-financed digital projects? What happens when political leadership changes? And what are the implications for Digital Global Gateway? A new Megatrends Afrika Policy Brief by IDOS expert Hangwei Li explores this question through Zambia, which is heading to general elections on 13 August 2026. It examines how Zambian actors engaged with Chinese-financed digital infrastructure projects across two administrations: the Patriotic Front (PF) government under Edgar Lungu (2015–2021) and the United Party for National Development (UPND) government under Hakainde Hichilema (2021–present). Her policy brief highlights: 1️ Zambian bureaucrats exercise meaningful influence through negotiation, inter-agency coordination, project oversight, and, at times, the deliberate delaying of projects. 2️ Bureaucratic influence cannot be understood in isolation from broader political and economic dynamics. The trajectory of Chinese digital projects was shaped not only by technocratic considerations, but also by presidential priorities, fiscal pressures, and Zambia’s wider foreign-policy and economic goals. 3️ Under the Lungu administration, bureaucratic room for manoeuvre was constrained by democratic backsliding, opaque procurement processes, and top-down presidential directives. Yet bureaucrats still found ways to shape projects and demonstrate bureaucratic resistance by withholding funds, demanding renegotiations, delaying implementation, and challenging unequal arrangements in ventures. 4️ The Hichilema administration created greater scope for bureaucratic oversight and renegotiation of Chinese digital projects. However, large-scale reshuffling of ministries weakened institutional memory and limited continuity. It shows how political transition can expand opportunities for review without necessarily strengthening long-term oversight and knowledge management. ➡️ Find more insights and concrete policy recommendations in the full brief, here: https://lnkd.in/ep6RDnEh 📽️ https://lnkd.in/esbztDHZ