Chinese media, advertising, and urban life.

The Oriental Post, Botswana's first Chinese-language newspaper, was launched with great fanfare at the end of May at a ceremony that included performances of opera and magic and the presence of Miss Botswana.

The launch was reported by the local press, China's foreign ministry, and the People's Daily, which has a content partnership with the newspaper.

Last week, France 24's The Observers ran a story on the new paper under the headline "Africa's first Chinese newspaper":

China's involvement in African affairs has grown considerably since the 1990s. An indication of Beijing's influence in the continent, the first daily newspaper printed in Chinese has arrived in Botswana.

The Oriental Post is not a daily newspaper. The Chinese title 非洲华侨周报 means "Africa Overseas Chinese Weekly," and according to a report filed by the Chinese embassy in Botswana and carried on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website, the paper is published once a week:

On May 29, 2009, the launch ceremony for The Oriental Post and the People's Daily Overseas Edition Africa Weely was held in Gaborone, capital of Botswana.

...[Ambassador] Liu Huanxing hailed the launch of The Oriental Post and said that he hoped that it would use the advantages of the media in the service of overseas Chinese, help promote mutual understanding between China and Africa, and become a platform for communication and exchange between the people of Botswana and the Chinese residing in the country.
...
The Oriental Post is a general-interest Chinese-language newspaper printed in a 20 to 40 page color tabloid format and is distributed across the country every Friday. It will gradually expand to cover the entire African region. The newspaper is an African partner of the People's Daily overseas edition.

Nor is The Oriental Post Africa's first Chinese-language newspaper.