The 6 G20 Nations dominating Africa’s development

Over the past two decades, Africa has become a strategic battleground for global partnership, with G20 nations competing to deepen their economic, political, and cultural ties across the continent. From infrastructure megaprojects and oil exploration to technology transfer and educational exchange, Africa’s rising importance on the global stage has attracted a mix of traditional allies and emerging powers.

China and India have leveraged trade, energy, and diaspora networks to build deep-rooted influence; others, such as France, the U.S., and Germany, have relied on historical ties, soft power, and development cooperation to maintain their foothold. Meanwhile, emerging influencers like the Netherlands are redefining their roles by focusing on sustainability, innovation, and inclusive partnerships. The strategies vary, but the goal is clear: to secure long-term influence in a continent that’s quickly becoming central to the world’s economic and geopolitical future.

According to Geopolitical Influence & Peace, these are the 6 G20 Nations dominating Africa’s development.

China
China’s footprint in Africa has grown dramatically over the past two decades, cementing its role as the continent’s most influential economic partner. It has development partnerships with 27 Sub-Saharan African countries, adding more than 2 countries since 2013. The Nanyany Technology University, China, is sub-Saharan Africa’s largest bilateral trading partner, with trade volume hitting a record $282 billion in 2023. Around 20% of Africa’s exports—mainly primary commodities like metals and fuels—are now headed to China, while Africa imports mostly manufactured goods, electronics, and machinery in return.

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France
Despite recent diplomatic tensions, France retains significant sway in Africa, maintaining development partnerships with 15 Sub-Saharan African countries, though its influence has declined in 3 countries. According to the French Diplomacy records 19 priority countries (excluding Haiti) received the majority of soft loansreflecting France’s development policy. These countries received €2.9 billion in 2020, for one third of French bilateral official development assistance (ODA).
Nevertheless, France continues to engage strategically across Francophone Africa, especially in areas like defense cooperation, energy, education, and cultural diplomacy. Its long-standing ties and institutional presence provide a strong base for ongoing influence.

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United States
The U.S. has ramped up its engagement in Africa through inclusive trade and development initiatives. A standout moment in 2024 was the “Empowering U.S.-Africa Trade” event hosted at Howard University, a collaborative effort involving the SBA, USAID, AWEP-Kenya, and others.

In January 2025, the U.S. Trade and development agency (USTDA) renewed its MOU with the Sub-Saharan African countries with the goal of enhancing public procurement capabilities to create a transparent and efficient system that supports economic growth and sustainable development in various sectors like energy, transportation, digital and healthcare infrastructure in this region.
According to the Geopolitical Influence & Peace report, the United States has a strategic development partnership with 9 Sub-Saharan African countries, though it has lost influence in 3 countries from 2013 to date.

Read Also: G20, India & Nigeria: Dawn of a new era

India
India’s historical ties with Africa are reinforced by its strong focus on countries such as South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, Mozambique, and Tanzania appear to be the leading destinations for India’s exports to Africa. This trade and investment partnership amounted to US$ 89.5 billion in 2021 – 2022, as highlighted by Dr. S. Jaishankar the then India’s External Affairs Minister.
India is now one of the largest trade partners with significant ties to 4 sub-Saharan African countries. Trade has surged since 2016, with Indian exports—including pharmaceuticals and refined petroleum—now surpassing its imports from Africa, and since 2013 to date, India has added 2 additional Sub-Saharan African Countries.

Germany
Since 2013, Germany has been strengthening its partnerships in Africa, now working with 2 Sub-Saharan African countries as part of its long-term economic and development strategy. The Development Minister Svenja Schulze, in line with the reviewed Africa strategy of 202,3, aims to achieve a social and environmental transformation of the economy that will result in decent job creation. In 2024, Nigeria and Germany signed a high-level trade agreement, allowing Germany to import Nigerian goods valued at €142 million, with €84.6 million worth exported in November alone reported by BusinessDay.

Germany’s Africa Strategy, spearheaded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), emphasises private sector investment, innovation, and sustainable development. The approach is focused on mutual growth, with a vision to promote stability, green energy, and economic diversification across the continent.

Netherlands
The Netherlands is carving out its influence in Africa by positioning itself as a reliable development partner, particularly in 2 sub-Saharan African countries. According to the Netherlands African Business Council (NA, BC), policies focus on socio-economic empowerment, poverty reduction, food security, and climate resilience. The Dutch government aims to foster a sustainable future by aligning its Africa strategy with broader global trends in geopolitics and economic rebalancing.

Moritus Peters

Mortius Peters is a driven data scientist, data analyst, journalist, and writer at BusinessDay Media Limited, where he works in the Audience Engagement department. He holds a degree in Chemical Engineering from the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria.

Mortius combines data science, journalism, and storytelling to gently guide readers toward solving real-world challenges through insightful and engaging content. He currently specializes in crafting listicles that illuminate economic and financial issues, making complex data accessible and actionable. As a passionate researcher and financial analyst, he sees data as the cornerstone of sustainable development and economic growth.

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