Total trade with Africa increased from US$5.4-billion in 2003 to US$40.7-billion in 2022. Turkey’s overall investment stock in Africa, focusing on infrastructure, education and healthcare, totals US$6-billion. Turkish contractors have built 1,296 projects worth US$82.6-billion. Hazar points out that the late former South African ambassador to Ankara, Tom Wheeler, said Turkey used its soft power to expand its influence in Africa, yet didn’t attract the negative reactions other countries faced. This could partly be because Turkey doesn’t carry any colonial baggage. This lack of any threat perception would be remarkable, considering that Turkey has considerably expanded its military presence in Africa.
