Africa is emerging as a central stage in global power politics, drawing attention from major powers competing for influence, resources and strategic advantage, experts have said.
Speaking on Tanzania Today, a weekly programme on TBC, analysts in diplomacy, economics and international trade agreed that Africa’s growing geopolitical importance brings both opportunities and risks. The outcome, they said, depends on how African countries position themselves.
Programme host, Nassar Kingu opened the panel discussion saying for many years, Africa was taken for granted, underestimated and overlooked, but over the last few years, Africa has been rising to the global stage.
He asked why the continent is fast becoming the next geopolitical battleground.
Responding, Dr Bravius Kayoza, a researcher and public intellectual, said Africa’s current role cannot be understood without looking at history.
“When we talk about Africa as a geopolitical battleground, it is important to historicise the issue—where we have been and where we are heading,” Dr Kayoza said. “Across different periods, Africa has faced acculturation, artificial scarcity and economic control, despite being richly endowed with resources.”
He said that although colonial rule formally ended decades ago, economic structures that disadvantaged Africa persisted, leaving the continent largely dependent on exporting raw materials.
Africa’s renewed strategic importance, analysts said, stems from a combination of geography, natural resources and demographics.
Ambassador Dr Msuya Mangachi, a political and diplomatic analyst, said Africa’s central location between Europe and Asia, together with its resource wealth, makes it strategically vital.
“Africa was divided during the Scramble for Africa of 1885 because of its strategic importance,” he said.
Today, according to him, they are coming back—not through colonial occupation, but through competition for critical raw materials.
He noted that modern geopolitics is increasingly driven by access to rare earth minerals and other strategic resources needed for industrialisation, energy transition and technology.
“Africa happens to have these resources in abundance, but we are not yet in a position to process and transform them. That keeps us at a disadvantage,” Ambassador Mangachi said.
Ambassador Merrow, an expert in international trade and economic policy, said changes in the global economy have forced major powers to reset their strategies.
“Countries that were considered poor in the 1960s are now competing at the same level as developed economies. Africa is not being left out of this reset,” he said.
He cited Tanzania’s steady economic growth as an example of the continent’s potential.
“Tanzania is growing at around six percent at a time when global markets face turmoil,” Ambassador Merrow said.
according to him, that alone makes Africa strategically important.
However, panelists cautioned that global attention does not automatically translate into development.
Nassar Kingu said the food is already on the table, the diacussion was how prepared Africa is, and how far its hands can reach.
Alliances were also discussed, particularly whether African countries benefit from aligning closely with major powers.
Dr Eve Harwa Sinare, an expert in international trade and investment, said the answer depends on Africa’s preparedness and negotiating capacity.
“This geopolitical battleground signifies a major change in global governance,” Dr Sinare said. “It is a once-in-a-lifetime moment, but it can be both good and bad.”
She explained that after the Cold War, the United States dominated the global system, using tools such as sanctions and financial mechanisms like SWIFT.
“Countries suffered because there were no alternatives,” she said. “But today, the rise of the Global South, especially China, is changing that.”
Dr Sinare said the rivalry between the United States and China directly affects Africa, particularly as competition grows over critical minerals.
“You see foreign ministers from the US, Russia and China visiting countries like the DRC,” she said.
The visits, according to her, are not accidental. Africa has become a battleground for control.
She also noted efforts to reduce reliance on the US dollar, which threaten the foundations of the current global financial system.
“The less the dollar is used, the harder it becomes for the US to sustain a debt-based economy,” Dr Sinare said.
She warned that Africa does not need a single unified voice to succeed.
“We should consult and cooperate, yes, but Africa has different interests and different endowments,” she said.
"Even Europe, which often speaks with one voice, struggles to protect its interests today,” she added.
Dr Sinare urged African countries to diversify partnerships, strengthen financial systems and invest in value addition.
“If Tanzania were removed from the SWIFT system today, we would struggle to operate,” she said. “That shows how vulnerable we still are.”
Despite the risks, panelists agreed that Africa’s current position presents a rare opportunity.
“This is not just about military power,” Ambassador Merrow said. “It is about finance, supply chains, technology and economic independence.”
The panel assured that Africa’s future will be determined by choices made within the continent rather than external powers.
“Africa is no longer marginal,” Dr Kayoza said. “The question is whether we allow history to repeat itself or whether we finally reposition ourselves within the global system.”
As global competition intensifies, Africa’s role is no longer in question.
The remaining challenge is whether the continent will emerge as a true global player—or remain a contested space shaped by others.