China's delay in approving Zijin Mining's US$4 billion acquisition of Allied Gold raises critical questions about its investment strategy in Africa. The writer considers the meaning of this regarding China's future investment in Africa and for South Africa's mining future and regional stability?
China’s decision to delay approval of Zijin Mining’s US$4 billion acquisition of Allied Gold is not just a bureaucratic hiccup. It reflects a deeper unease in Beijing about the mounting costs of safeguarding its sprawling economic footprint across Africa.
For South Africans, this hesitation is more than distant geopolitics - it touches directly on the continent’s mining future, regional stability, and the balance of global investment flows.
It seems at the centre of Beijing’s concerns lies Mali, home to Allied Gold’s flagship Sadiola mine. Once celebrated for its mineral wealth, Mali has become a frontline in the Sahel’s escalating insurgency.
The al‑Qaeda‑linked Jama’at Nusrat al‑Islam wal‑Muslimin (JNIM) has forged tactical ties with Tuareg separatists, intensifying what analysts call an “economic jihad” aimed at choking off state revenues.
