How Chinese Money is Changing Housing in Africa

This isn't new to Africa either.

Right after African nations started gaining so called independence, the majority of the progressive leadership turned to China for infrastructure development help, with an eye on housing, and the Chinese government obliged. As a result, most neighborhoods in a number of these countries are Chinese built.

Zambia, in particular, has about 50% of its biggest towns and cities consisting of neighborhoods that the Chinese built. This was done in the late 60ies when most Africans didn't have the skills for building modern housing so outside expertise was absolutely imperative if there was going to be rapid modernization.

The Zambian brick making industry, and its bricklayers have their current building standards to thank on this interaction with the Chinese. Most, if not all houses Zambians build today are modeled upon the design the Chinese introduced, which was based on designs the Chinese were told were palatable to African sensibilities.

For instance, most if not all Zambian houses do not have corridors stretching from the main entrance. Instead the main door opens into the living room (sitting room) which is a design taken from how African houses were traditionally made. Africans wouldn't have understood the idea of an entry into a hallway and a living room that's a separate, more or less private room to the home, and etc.

All in all, China has been a positive influence on Africa. Close to 50% of Zambians grew up in modern housing with running water, sometimes with the added luxury of hot and cold water, with a modern toilet, bathroom and kitchen in the house. This would not have been possible had the Chinese not hastened to our aid and made these gigantic housing projects as cheaply as they did.

What the Chinese have done for Africa contrasts sharply with what the west has done for the continent. They have been a positive influence, while the west has been completely destructive. I say this with full knowledge of the facts being one on the receiving end of western attacks designed to keep me out of the game right now. It is unbelievable how the west keeps on keeping on, but then check western history and you will find the explanation for this, and also ample reason to realize that this manner of being is internalized by now. The west has basically been doing nothing other than robbing and pillaging.since Alexander the Greek and prior to him, so that stuff must have become way of life.

The west has been , and remains barbaric, and as things stand, it is a threat to the survival of Africans and this the continent just doesn't need.

There are a lot of people warning Africans of the bad intentions that the Chinese have for Africans with these projects, some that are well intentioned warnings and are well taken, and others that are pure paranoia induced in most probability by the west keen on preventing the creation of a beneficial socioeconomic link between Africa and China

But if anyone needs an example of how it turns out when the Chinese do things for you almost for free, how you benefit off of using their expertise in such a way if in the end you lose out to them (the pros and cons of dealing with them as a third world country), then check out the history of their housing infrastructure projects in Zambia that has now stood on record for a good half a century. That's a whole lot of years for there to be a noticeable trend that can reliably serve as an indicator of what Africa can expect from interactions with the Chinese.

The basic truth is that the Chinese deserve the benefit of the doubt, just like everybody else, except the west of course. Only the west has proven, beyond any shadow of doubt, that it cannot change and cannot be trusted, ever. It is in fact foolish, if not asinine, to trust the west in anything at all.