On 9th February, White & Case published an analysis focused on China trade with, and involvement in, Africa. It points out that in 2009, China overtook the US as Africa’s major trading partner. The largest African exporter to China from Africa in 2015 was South Africa, followed by Angola and Sudan. In the same year, South Africa was the largest African market for Chinese goods, followed by Nigeria and then Egypt. It also considers the impact of the Chinese Belt & Road Initiative, particularly the Maritime Silk Route – comprising the seaborne trade route linking China to Europe via South Asia and the Horn of Africa. Another factor mentioned is that China frequently works with the governments of those countries to establish Special Economic Zones, usually termed Foreign Economic and Trade Co-operation Zones or Overseas Cooperation Zones (OCZ), to promote trade and investment.
https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/africa-focus-spring-2018-belt-and-road-74345/