The 2019/2021 Afrobarometer survey data show that only two percent of Africans view
Mandarin as a desirable international language for young people to learn. This indicates
that Beijing’s attempts to enhance its cultural soft power in Africa through language
promotion have had limited success. This project aims to further explore this finding
by examining the perspectives of the compulsory study of Mandarin among African student
migrants who have studied or are currently studying in China. We employed a descriptive
survey design with quantitative data collected through questionnaires from a sample
of 315 former and present African students in China. Descriptive statistics were used
to analyze the data collected, including frequencies, percentages, standard deviations,
and means. Contrary to the Afrobarometer survey results, African students in China
greatly value learning Mandarin. The majority believe that proficiency in Mandarin
makes them valuable members of society. They also desire Mandarin to be taught more
widely in their home countries and view China as an attractive destination due to
their Mandarin language skills. These results suggest that while the general African
public may not be attracted to Mandarin, African migrant students with direct experience
in China have a more positive perception of the language and its benefits. This highlights
the need for future studies on Chinese soft power in Africa, as the perspectives of
specific subgroups may differ from broader public opinion.
