Africa is often referred to in the context of the ‘great power’ rivalry between the US and China. The geopolitical importance of the continent means that it is considered as ‘in play’, but there is a lack of solid empirical analysis on Africa and on other countries’ engagement in the continent. Part of the reason for this is the streetlight effect, or drunkard’s search principle. This is the idea that analysts look where it is easiest — where the light is — ignoring less examined and harder-to-measure dimensions. With eleven languages spoken in South Africa alone, unpicking goings-on the continent