Spot On. When many were wringing their hands over the Chinese incursion into Africa, I thought the same thing.
That whole Southern part is lost, and will continue to be so until tribalism, for just one, is defeated. Actually, until they adopt Western ways, like Rule of Law and titles to land, they will continue to wallow in poverty. (How many BILLIONS has the West poured down that rathole?)
Southern Africa is indeed going the way of Rhodesia...but eastern Africa is headed there too.
I worked for over two years in the boonies of Tanzania and have traveled a lot in Kenya and Namibia and some in Safrica.
All these countries seem to be suicidal and they will take the Chinese with them.
Not a bad thing.