Based on economic complementarities acknowledged by both parties, and in line with its “Going Out” strategy, China’s influence on African urbanisation has evolved since 1990 from mainly infrastructure projects to projects that increasingly involve integrated local development. Such a shift can be attested by the establishment of six official Chinese Special Economic Zones in Africa, based upon a three-pillar structure: Chinese state-owned enterprises, local governments, and the China-Africa Development Fund. China’s influence on urbanisation in Africa not only builds on exporting surplus and production capacity, but also on development thinking and local development models.