Yes, it is. China, on the other hand, is more of a fascist state. American businesses are not interested in risking capital investment in places, such as Africa, where tribal violence and civil wars are all too common. China, on the other hand, will have no problem defending its investments with the PLA in one guise or another.
As for South America, there are a number of American business interests and investments including American investment in some companies. That said, there are some areas of South America where American companies are not keen to do business because American businesses, in the past, were chased out of the nation (usually by communist/nationalist movements).
I’m not sure you understand “Africa”, there is no such thing as “Africa”. There are fifty three vastly different countries, most of which have been at peace for the past thirty years.
Jim Rogers is one of the very few Americans who has any understanding of “Africa”. He has travelled extensively through the African continent and China, so he understands the issues well. He is also one of the most successful investors and we can see why.