The spectacle of a drone show might be new to Malawi – indeed it might be new to most countries in Africa to be honest – but we are now wondering whether China has added this as part of its wider strategy to win more markets on the continent for its Belt Road Initiative (BRI).
After making stop overs in Tanzania and Kenya, China’s celebratory road show rolled into Malawi last Friday, with the same 500-drone spectacle lighting the skies in Lilongwe.
The event, which was beamed live on local television and watched live on location by thousands of Malawians at the Bingu International Convention Centre, is part of the 2026 China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges and the 77th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.
Officially launched on 8 January 2026 at the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the year-long initiative is a diplomatic road show featuring 58 core activities across the continent. It is a celebration of the BRI in Africa as well as 70 years since China first established diplomatic ties in Africa (with Egypt in 1956).
The next shows are due in Zambia, Ethiopia and South Africa.
The program aims to deepen cooperation outside of government boardrooms by engaging ordinary citizens through, cultural and youth engagement, tourism, education, and academic forums. Shared celebrations highlighting historical solidarity and cultural heritage
As before, the drones took to the sky, forming a series of images featuring the national flags of China and Malawi, notable China-funded infrastructure projects in Malawi, and Malawian President Peter Mutharika.
Addressing the event, Malawian Foreign Affairs Minister George Chaponda said there is much for Malawi to learn from China, and the people-to-people exchanges between the two countries have contributed immensely to Malawi's economy in many ways.
He hailed the drone light show as a milestone, saying the first-ever such spectacle in Malawi demonstrated the deepening bilateral relations between Malawi and China.
The BRI has seen the erection of a lot of infrastructure across Africa, including energy generation infrastructure, port terminals, roads, railways, innovation hubs, government buildings; even the construction of the African Union buildings in Addis Ababa.
Maybe the next belt wave will include drones in it. We need them.