Clear design and concise writing make sense of China’s presence in Africa
At the time, Africa Practice – the specialist strategic communications and investment publisher – happened to share the same building as us. We heard through the grapevine that they were looking to recruit a designer to support them with their various publishing activities. So in the meantime, we offered to help fill the immediate vacuum on a project for JETRO London (Japan External Trade Organisation) relating to China’s presence in Africa.
We designed and produced this digitally printed 36-page study, The impact of the Chinese Presence in Africa (Click on the link to download a pdf of the finished piece – 528kb). The whole document, complete with diagrams and maps, was produced in a very short space of time from receipt of final draft to finished bound copies.
The report studied local and international responses to China’s recent push into Africa – a move fuelled by a growing need for oil and industrial raw materials, an urge to deepen and enhance its global standing, and a desire to encourage a more international outlook from Chinese companies.
It showed that while there were mixed views both in Africa and more widely, the majority of Africans believed China’s influence to be ultimately positive, despite certain business and aid practices. The pervasive view from the international community, meanwhile, appeared to be that China was harming efforts to bring economic and political sanity to the region’s trouble spots.
“The Chinese are making great strides into Africa, and this report makes sense of a complex situation with concise writing and clear design. Due to its ever-changing nature, the research is being continually updated and the report had to be completed swiftly to create an accurate snapshot: the team worked well together to produce an excellent and impactful report, which will contribute greatly to the ongoing debate about the Chinese Influence in Africa.” James Laing – Africa Practice
