African nations are adding Chinese to their national curricula, but the roll-out is hampered by a lack of qualified teachers
3-MIN READ3-MIN ListenJevans NyabiagePublished: 4:56pm, 19 Jun 2026As China’s relationship with African countries has deepened, the country’s influence is spreading into more areas. In the first of a series of articles, Jevans Nyabiage explores how a drive to expand Chinese language education in Africa is being stymied by a shortage of teachers.For years, Chinese language training in Africa has been provided mainly through Beijing-backed Confucius Institutes at universities and independent schools run by Chinese nationals.Now, several African nations have added Chinese to their national curricula.
Tunisia became the first nation to introduce the language two decades ago, followed by Cameroon in 2012.
In the years since, South Africa, Uganda, Tanzania and Zimbabwe have made it an optional subject, while Nigeria recently incorporated it into its secondary curriculum. Egypt and Kenya are also in the process of integrating the language into their education systems.
But the countries are struggling to meet their ambitions due to a shortage of qualified teachers.
