Senoufou: I'm rather ignorant about South Africa, as I'm familiar only with parts of West Africa. Actually, it seems that other flourishing economies are now getting in on the act. The Chinese and Lebanese are making great strides in investment there, which does mean employment and development, but I have no doubt their own interests will come first, and back-handers offered to the corrupt politicians.

The Chinese in particular are virtually annexing parts of Africa. I've seen it at first hand in Angola and Sudan, but it's happening elsewhere too.

They go in with offers of loans for development projects. The projects are managed by the Chinese, who often bring in their own nationals to do even some of the most basic work, employing far fewer locals than they could. At a price of course, as the loans are used to repay the costs of the imported labour.

The collateral for the loans is the country's natural resources....typically oil land gas in the areas where I work, but also including gold, precious stones and other minerals. And the backhanders are enormous.

You could say they've taken over some of the worst aspects of the Western colonial era. Most Sudanese and Angolans I've spoken to loathe them as "they're more racist than most Westerners ever were".