Africa
Morocco sees surge in Chinese tourists

Chinese tourists flock to the Ksar Aït Ben Haddou, one of the most popular tourist destinations in southern Morocco.
They walk along the road leading to the historic village, passing by small shops displaying traditional Moroccan crafts.
These visitors are known for their passion for purchasing traditional gifts during their travels and show a special appreciation for local handicrafts.
They cross a bridge to begin their tour of the Ksar.
From a distance, the palace appears with its compact structure on the mud hill, its closely packed houses, and its dusty alleys.
The Ksar Aït Ben Haddou is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, giving it strong appeal for culturally-minded Chinese tourists.
“The main reason I chose Morocco is for multiple cultural reasons,” says Xihao Chen, a tourist from Shanghai.
“Morocco is a blend of Arab, and Berber, and African, and European culture. So the cultural diversity attracted me to come to Morocco,” he adds.
Groups wander through the stone alleys, eager to reach the top of the Ksar.
Inside one of the shops, traditional items such as small statues, leather bags, and copperware are on display, and visitors pause to explore them.
A Chinese tourist and her husband climb a steep path to the top of the Ksar, where they enjoy impressive views.
“One of the main reasons I chose to travel to Morocco this time is because I watched a North African film, which made me very fascinated by Casablanca and the customs and culture of Morocco,” says Xiu Meng Qi, a tourist from Binzhou in Shandong Province.
Varied landscapes
According to the tour guides, it’s Morocco’s varied landscapes that appeal to Chinese tourists.
“The landscapes in Morocco are very different from those in China,” says tour guide Wu Xiao from Shanghai.
“For example, there’s the Sahara Desert described in Sanmao’s writings, the ‘Red City’ of Marrakech, and the ancient city of Fes which, to many Chinese, evokes the feel of an old yellow-hued civilization,” he adds.
Whatever it is that is attracting Chinese tourists to Morocco, it’s working.
According to tourism researcher Zoubir Bouhoute, tourism from China has grown hugely in the last 10 years.
“Before 2016, there were fewer than 10,000 Chinese tourists. However, after the decision by the King of Morocco to cancel visa requirements, their numbers saw a significant increase, rising year after year until reaching over 140,000 tourists in 2019,” Bouhoute says.
Local cuisine
Also high on the agenda of most Chinese tourists is sampling the local cuisine.
A group enters a restaurant in Aït Ben Haddou and heads to the tables prepared for them.
They enjoy pumpkin soup, local bread and then a meat and prune tagine.
“This is the first time I try the Moroccan food. And the Moroccan bread, I like it very much, because although it’s hard outside, it’s very soft inside,” says Judy Su, a tourist from Shanghai.
After eating, the group leaves the restaurant and heads towards waiting buses and on to the next stop on their Moroccan adventure.
Africa
30% on South African imports: Ramaphosa hits back at new Trump tariffs

A “unilateral imposition of a 30% trade tariff against South Africa.”
South African president Cyril Ramaphosa has pushed back against the latest wave of trade tariffs from the Trump administration – a wave that also targets Pretoria, the only sub-Saharan country on the list.
The move from the White House comes as the American government announced Monday that it would be delaying the start of some of its most aggressive import tariffs, which it imposed among others in April on nations around the world.
14 countries, among which Japan, South Korea and South Africa, however received letters on the same day detailing new, higher tariffs.
According to a statement published by the South African presidential office on Tuesday, “South Africa maintains that the 30% reciprocal tariff is not an accurate representation of available trade data. In our interpretation of the available trade data, the average tariff imported goods entering South Africa stands at 7.6%. Importantly, 56% of goods enter South Africa at 0% most favoured nation tariff, with 77% of US goods entering the South African market under the 0% duty.”
“South Africa will continue with its diplomatic efforts towards a more balanced and mutually beneficial trade relationship with the United States,” the statement from Pretoria furthermore noted.
At the same time, the presidential office urged South African companies “to accelerate their diversification efforts in order to promote better resilience in both global supply chains and the South African economy.”
Overall ties between Washington and Pretoria have experienced severe strains since Trump returned to office, with a meeting between Ramaphosa and his American counterpart in May doing little to improve the situation.
Africa
Broken windows and lootings: Nairobi businesses deal with protest aftermath

In the wake of countrywide protests which turned violent in Kenya on Monday, traders were counting their losses following extensive damage to their businesses and buildings.
Police in Kenya clashed with demonstrators Monday during the latest anti-government protests, killing 10 people, according to the state-funded human rights commission.
Authorities blocked major roads leading into the capital, Nairobi, and most businesses closed amid the strictest measures yet to contain the unrest. Kenyan youth and others for weeks have been protesting police brutality and poor governance while demanding President William Ruto’s resignation over alleged corruption and the high cost of living.
July 7, known as Saba Saba, is a significant date in Kenya’s history, marking the first major protests 35 years ago that called for a transition from a one-party state to a multiparty democracy, which was realized in the 1992 elections.
Saba Saba is Swahili for Seven Seven.
Kenya’s latest wave of violent demonstrations was sparked by calls for police accountability following the death of a blogger in police custody last month.
Africa
Amnesty International denounces lack of investigation into activists’ abduction

Nobody has heard of Oumar Sylla, known as Foniké Menguè, and Mamadou Billo Bah, for an entire year. Nobody knows their whereabouts.
The two Guinean activists, members of the now-dissolved National Front for the Defence of the Constitution (FNDC), were arrested on 9 July 2024 at the latter’s home in Conakry by armed men, before allegedly being taken by special forces to the Loos archipelago.
There, they have reportedly endured torture and interrogations.
Amnesty International has now called for “a prompt and transparent” investigation into the two activists’ disappearance.
The two activists’ fate is emblematic of the recent acceleration of forced disappearances and abductions, with Amnesty International denouncing a “climate of terror” by the junta in power in Guinea.
On 19 February 2025, the national coordinator of the Forum of Social Forces of Guinea (Forum des forces sociales de Guinée), Abdoul Sacko, was abducted and found the same day, according to his lawyers “in a critical state, tortured and abandoned by his abductors in the bush”.
Another case is lawyer Mohamed Traoré. The former President of the Guinean Bar Association has testified that he was “subjected to abuse” after being abducted from his home on the night of 20 to 21 June 2025 by armed men.
“It’s very, very difficult—very hard—for the families and loved ones of these individuals. We have had no communication from the Guinean state, let alone from the prosecutor who, during his only and single appearance, announced investigations into these disappearances. Since then, we’ve heard nothing,” said Souleymane Sow, director of the Guinean branch of Amnesty International.
But as the radio silence from the authorities continues, the hope of finding the whereabouts of the activists soon is shrinking.
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