Unpacking China’s Digital Ascent in the Global South: The Case of Huawei in North Africa

El Kadi, Tin Hinane

Unpacking China’s Digital Ascent in the Global South: The Case of Huawei in North Africa

Despite frequent concerns in Western policy and media circles about the risks of using Chinese telecommunications suppliers, firms like Huawei have encountered little resistance from governments or citizens in the Global South. Empirical research explaining this acceptance remains limited. This paper helps fill that gap by examining Huawei’s localisation strategy in Algeria and Egypt. Based on 107 interviews conducted between 2021 and 2024, the study shows that Huawei did not impose a one-size-fits-all model. Instead, it adapted to local development priorities, aligning its operations with national goals related to digital infrastructure and knowledge transfer. The company demonstrated flexibility in responding to evolving policy agendas and economic strategies in both countries. While engaging in activities that appear developmental, such as training programmes and infrastructure investment, Huawei has retained control over key technologies to protect its market position. This dual approach has helped the company build political goodwill in Algiers and Cairo and position itself as a central player in both countries’ digital ecosystems. The paper concludes with policy recommendations for both developing and Western countries on how to engage with Chinese tech actors more effectively.

The special issue “CTRL + Power: The Politics of Digital Authoritarianism” of Global Policy is published in open access with the financial support of Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo. The issue is part of the initiative “CTRL + power: the (geo)politics of digital authoritarianism”, an academic collaboration between T.wai, LSE IDEAS and the University of Torino.

Published in:

Special Issue: CTRL + Power: The Politics of Digital Authoritarianism

29 July 2026

From the same author

Mitigating Disinformation with Civic Constitutionalism: The Case Study of Taiwan

29 July 2026

Amid growing concerns over information integrity, disinformation has evolved into a broader and more complex phenomenon now recognized as Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference... Read More

Securing Democracy: Online Political Advertising Regulations and Practices in the EU and its Member States

29 July 2026

Starting with the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica scandal and its link to Brexit and the 2016 US elections, the nexus among online political advertising, micro-targeting, and... Read More

Countering FIMI by Digital Authoritarianisms: Audience Architecture and Reverse Language Engineering

29 July 2026

Foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI) campaigns on social media are currently both more accessible and more impactful than the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s... Read More

Reforming Export Control Regimes: Addressing Emerging Technologies Through Responsible Innovation

29 July 2026

The proliferation of dual-use emerging technologies—such as artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing, and additive manufacturing—poses a growing challenge for multilateral export control regimes. Designed... Read More

Does AI Affect the Democratic Conduct of War? Analyzing US and Israeli Military AI Deployment

29 July 2026

This study examines how the use of decision-support military Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems can affect the democratic conduct of warfare. AI can challenge the... Read More

Events & Training Programs