The New Silk Road & Global Power Competition: Strategic Implications for African Business Leaders

In a rapidly shifting global landscape, Africa’s business leaders are operating at the crossroads of the world’s most consequential geopolitical rivalry: China vs. the United States. This masterclass, delivered by IE University, examines how the “New Silk Road” and intensifying global power competition are reshaping markets, supply chains, investment flows, technology ecosystems, and strategic opportunities across West Africa.

The session revisits the origins of the ancient Silk Road but focuses squarely on its 21st-century transformation—the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a trillion-dollar infrastructure and influence strategy through which China aims to reposition itself as the dominant global power by 2050. We will break down what this shift means for executives leading organizations across West Africa and beyond.