Success in Africa: CEO Insights from a Continent on the Rise

CHAPTER 7

What About China?

I’ll love you, dear, I’ll love you/till China and Africa meet.

W.H. Auden

The most important thing for Africa about China is it’s not Europe.

Tom Gibian, CEO, Emerging Capital Partners (2000–10)

The Story We Don’t See

In 2008, I sat in a Washington, D.C., ballroom with an august group of U.S. and African business leaders to celebrate U.S.–Africa business ties. As is often the case with august groupings in D.C. ballrooms, the most anticipated speaker was a former statesman of the highest order. For reasons that will be clear shortly, I’ll not name him.

The speaker rose and the august grew silent. He spoke passionately and intelligently about world affairs, growth, opportunity, and Africa. Then he said this: “I ...