South Africa, which will host China’s President Hu Jintao on Tuesday, sees mutual benefits flowing from Beijing’s push into Africa while being wary of being seen as a mere source for raw materials. Hu is expected to receive the full red-carpet treatment when he arrives in the capital, Pretoria, on the latest leg of a sweep through the continent.

Stock markets across Africa, beset by feeble volumes of trade and lack of liquidity, are trying to work closer together in a bid to increase transparency and attract more foreign investment. ”There has to be a change in the way international investors perceive Africa and its stock exchanges,” according to Maged Shawky Sourail, chief executive of African Stock Exchanges Assocation.