The recent five-nation trip took Prime Minister Narendra Modi to three continents spread over tens of thousands of miles. While the visits to Brazil for the BRICS Summit and to Trinidad and Tobago and Argentina were all significant, there was a deep symbolism to the manner in which Mr Modi bookended his travels, starting out in Ghana and returning to Africa with a trip to Namibia. New Delhi, of course, has never abandoned Africa. But it has, far too often, shown interest in deepening its engagement with the continent, only to then get distracted, undermining its own previous efforts. In Namibia, Mr Modi laid out what amounts to a fresh vision for India’s relations with Africa. And the timing could not be more critical. At a time when China’s deep influence in the continent is facing pushback in some African nations and the United States of America appears to be openly pitching for a neocolonial approach, India’s long history with several African nations, coupled with its softer touch, could give it an edge. It is already a major trading partner of several African countries and has offered billions of dollars in concessional loans. Generations of young Africans have studied in India.

Yet, India has also been guilty of relegating ties with the continent to the sidelines at times. For instance, New Delhi has not held an India-Africa Summit since 2015 even though China, the US, Turkey, Japan, Russia and South Korea have all held such conclaves. Rebuilding India’s influence on the continent will come with its own challenges. China has been Africa’s largest trading partner for over a decade and is also a major investor. The meeting between the presidents of Gabon, Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia and Mauritania and the US president, Donald Trump, in Washington last week also made it evident that African nations know that American investors can bring cash that no one else can match. But some African countries have renegotiated mining deals with Beijing amid concerns that they are not benefiting enough from the relationship. Meanwhile, Mr Trump has been brazen about the fact that he is primarily interested in African minerals. In contrast, Mr Modi’s assertion in Namibia that India is not looking to compete but build together might resonate well with Africa’s people and leadership. Indeed, India cannot and does not need to do a China or an America in Africa. It just needs to keep its eyes on the ball. Slow and steady can win the race.