An overview of Chinese law and investment in Africa 2026

China is currently Africa's leading trade and investment partner. Knowledge of Chinese policies and law is a valuable resource for policy makers, legal professionals and business people.

This course is an essential resource to understand and navigate China's interests in Africa, and offers a short overview of Chinese business law and international investment policies. The course will cover prospects and legal aspects of doing business with China, China's Africa policy and interests under the Forum on China Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) framework. Participants will be able to generate insights for doing business in China and have a nuanced understanding of China's actions in Africa.

Join us for an eight-hour course, held over four days.

When and where?

22 to 23 September 2026, 8:00 - 12:00 SAST

This course will be held remotely, most likely on Zoom.

Course outline

Topics to be covered include:

• China-Africa relations: A historical overview of China-Africa relations and motivation for Chinese engagements in Africa
• China-Africa legal cooperation
• Development of Chinese law and institutions that govern economic laws and outbound investment
• Chinese contract law
• Chinese investments in Africa: Legal risks

Presenter

Tebogo Lefifi holds an LLM in Chinese business law from Hong Kong Open University and is a doctoral candidate in the Centre for Comparative Law in Africa (CCLA) at UCT. She holds a BCom from the University of KwaZulu-Natal and has also completed postgraduate certificates and courses in finance and economics. She spent a decade studying Chinese business, language and law in China. During this time, she worked with universities, corporations and government departments advising on research and regulatory environment in China. She was a chief representative for various organisations in China including the official South African national brand agency 'Brand South Africa' and Stellenbosch University's Centre for Chinese Studies thinktank. She is the executive director of Sino-Afric@Work, an Africa-China advisory company, and serves on advisory boards of various China-Africa businesses and initiatives. She co-founded an applied thinktank, Sino-Africa Centre of Excellence (SACE), which published and carried out the China Business Perception Index in various countries in Africa. 

How much?

R4 400 per person

Certificate

A digital certificate of attendance from UCT will be issued to those who attend the full course.

Please note that the digital certificate can only be viewed on a secure portal. It cannot be downloaded or printed. You will have the option of ordering a hard copy of the certificate at your own cost, including the cost of the courier fee. More information is available here.

SIGN UP HERE: An overview of Chinese law and investment in Africa | UCT Law at Work