Harris is the latest US government figure to visit African countries, after Treasury secretary Janet Yellen and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, as Washington strives to counter-balance growing Chinese and Russian influence on the continent.

Since landing in Ghana on Sunday, Harris has met President Nana Akufo-Addo, participated in a state banquet, given a speech to young people about innovation and women’s empowerment, and visited a ‘slave castle’ that was the last stop for thousands of Africans sold into the transatlantic slave trade.

She is scheduled to leave Ghana after her roundtable with women entrepreneurs and fly to the Tanzanian commercial capital Dar es Salaam, where she will meet President Samia Suluhu Hassan on Thursday and fulfil other engagements.

On Friday, she will fly to Zambia, where she will meet President Hakainde Hichilema and participate in other events. She is due to leave Zambia on Saturday and arrive back in the US on Sunday.