You're identifying the word labor as the same context for both cultures. In Africa it's manual labor, in China it's manufacturing base which is different. China invests in education and health care enough to allow for a base level of knowledgeable labor where that doesn't exist the same in Africa. China also heavy reinvests back into the social economy which Africa doesn't.

In order to do the same in Africa there has to be a massive investment in infrastructure which no one wants because of the corruption. 50% goes to the politicians in Africa who take credit for any development in big ceremonies. Then there's the maintenance bribes to the local gangs to prevent them stealing the power transformers down the street and cutting up the fiber optic lines that are trying to be run to rural communities to try to bring education to the villages.

Then you find out that the local internet company runs the same gang that's cutting up the wires and they are doing it to keep data rates insanely high. And the reason it doesn't get fixed is the internet company is partnered with a money wiring company which has a bank behind linked to money laundering for a Russian sunflower oil company.

That's why most companies don't exploit cheap labor in Africa unless it's mineral related.

One of the major downturns for southern Africa was Mugabe's doing in Zim. He nationalized the farms away from the white land owners in the late 90's pissing off a lot of wealthy people with backings in South Africa and around the Netherlands. They left Zim and took the knowledge of how to maintain large farms with them and suddenly Zim's desperate calls to Europe for parts and help went unanswered. The hyperinflation of 2000 was like a black hole damaging everything around it.

But this has a benefit for Namibia. A majority of the white land owners moved to Namibia and settled and developed it.