Watchlist 2026: Sino-African tensions, stolen elections, and more debt restructuring

Sino-African relations have improved following Trump’s protectionist tilt. Next year, those relations will start showing strain as African industrialisation efforts run up against China’s desire to find alternative export markets.

In our Watchlist 2026 webinar, we will discuss how we see those frictions playing out. We also discuss our expectations for currency devaluations in Mozambique and Malawi, and why we believe Senegalese debt restructuring is looming. On the politics front, the ANC is heading towards its worst electoral outcome ever in South African local elections, Bobi Wine looks set to win Uganda’s presidency, but he probably won’t become president, while there is a non-negligible chance Tunisian president Saïed will not be the head of state this time next year.

This webinar is being held on our new platform, ON24. If you do not receive your confirmation email, please check your junk and spam folders.

Speakers

Jacques Nel

Jacques manages Oxford Economics Africa’s subscription services and oversees regional & thematic research. He also pilots various consulting projects, including the African risk monitoring service.

Head of Africa Macro,

Jervin Naidoo

Jervin is a political analyst at Oxford Economics Africa, specialising in the political coverage of the DRC, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, and several East African countries. Before joining OEA, Jervin honed his expertise in academia and research at the University of Pretoria’s Department of Political Science, the Institute for Security Studies, and the Global Initiative against Transnational Organised Crime. He holds an MA in International Political Economy from the University of Warwick. His areas of expertise include security and intelligence, foreign policy, and the illicit economy.

Political Analyst, OE Africa