China Tops Foreign Influence Rankings Among Young Africans, IFF Survey Shows
China and the United Kingdom rank jointly as the most positively perceived foreign powers in Africa, with 95% approval among young Africans surveyed. India, Germany, Brazil and the European Union now enjoy higher favorability ratings than the United States, although U. S. perceptions improved from 2024. A majority of respondents favor. . .
China and the United Kingdom rank jointly as the most positively perceived foreign powers in Africa, with 95% approval among young Africans surveyed. India, Germany, Brazil and the European Union now enjoy higher favorability ratings than the United States, although U. S. perceptions improved from 2024. A majority of respondents favor pragmatic engagement with the Trump administration, while concerns over USAID cuts and U. S. access to African natural resources remain widespread. Several traditional and emerging powers, including India, Brazil, Germany and the United Kingdom, now enjoy more favorable perceptions among young Africans than the United States, according to a new survey by the Ichikowitz Family Foundation (IFF). China has strengthened its position as the foreign power viewed most positively by Africa's youth, while other countries such as India, Germany and the United Kingdom have also overtaken the United States in favorability, according to the African Youth Survey 2026, published on July 29 by the South African philanthropic organization Ichikowitz Family Foundation, which promotes education and preserves African history and culture. The survey interviewed 4,901 men and women aged 18 to 24 across 16 African countries, including Chad, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, South Africa, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya and Mozambique. It found that 95% of respondents viewed China's influence on the continent positively. China and the UK Lead Foreign Powers' RankingsThe United Kingdom matched China as the highest-rated foreign power, with 95% of respondents viewing both countries positively. The European Union followed with 92%, ahead of India (91%), Germany (90%), Brazil (90%), France (87%), the United States (85%) and Russia (83%). The biennial African Youth Survey 2026 showed that perceptions of China's influence improved sharply compared with the previous edition. Positive views of China rose from 82% to 95% among the eight countries tracked continuously since the survey's launch. Young people in Mozambique and Togo recorded the highest approval of China's influence, with 100% positive ratings in both countries. Liberia followed with 99%, while Chad recorded 98% and Zambia 97%. Meanwhile, perceptions of U. S. influence improved by seven percentage points, rising to 85% in 2026 from 78% in 2024. Young Liberians and Chadians expressed the strongest support for the United States, with 98% positive ratings, followed by Mozambique and Togo at 97% each. South African respondents expressed the weakest support for the United States. Only 58% of young South Africans described the country as a positive influence, reflecting tensions between Pretoria and the Trump administration. Russia also improved its standing among African youth. Positive perceptions of Russia increased to 83% in 2026 from 68% in 2024. 52% of Young Africans Favor Cooperation With TrumpWhen asked how African governments should engage with the Trump administration, 52% of respondents said African leaders should adopt a pragmatic approach and seek ways to cooperate. Support for this position reached 71% in the Democratic Republic of Congo, 65% in the Republic of Congo, and 64% in both Nigeria and Mozambique. By contrast, 42% of respondents said African leaders should resist President Donald Trump and defend their national interests. Young South Africans expressed the strongest support for this confrontational approach, with 71% backing resistance to the U. S. administration. Burkina Faso followed with 54%, while Somalia recorded 51%. The survey also found that 58% of young Africans believe the United States would disregard international law to gain access to their countries' natural resources. This concern reached 70% in both South Africa and Liberia. Opinions remained divided over the closure of the U. S. Agency for International Development (USAID). More than two in five respondents (46%) said the agency's closure would negatively affect their countries. Concern over declining U. S. assistance proved strongest in Mozambique (76%), Rwanda (63%) and Kenya (63%), where many respondents said vulnerable populations would bear the greatest impact. Meanwhile, 26% adopted a more optimistic view, arguing that the closure of USAID would force African governments to address domestic challenges directly. This opinion proved strongest in Ghana (41%) and Nigeria (40%). More than half of respondents (53%) identified healthcare services and disease prevention as the sectors most likely to suffer from USAID funding cuts. Concern was especially high in Zambia, Mozambique and Kenya, where more than seven in ten young people said they already felt the effects. This article was initially published in French by Walid KéfiAdapted in English by Ange J. A de Berry Quenum