Driving Education Culture, Fostering Youth Friendship Between China and South Africa

On the occasion of South Africa’s Youth Month, I wish to extend my sincere festive greetings to all our young friends. The youth are the future of nations and the future of China-South Africa friendship as well. I have been deeply impressed by the confidence, optimism, and ingenuity of the young South African people.

Our nations, the People's Republic of China and the Republic of South Africa, enjoy traditional friendship characterised by a strong “comradeship plus brotherhood” bond.

I firmly believe that the hope for a lasting China-South Africa friendship rests with the young generation.

Both China and South Africa attach great importance to youth development and exchanges. In September 2024, at the opening ceremony of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Beijing Summit, the President of the People’s Republic of China, His Excellency Xi Jinping, announced the incorporation of the strengthening of youth exchanges and cooperation into the ten partnership actions for modernisation to deepen China-Africa cooperation.

During His Excellency, President Cyril Ramaphosa’s visit to China, the heads of state of both our countries reaffirmed their commitment, with the elevation of the bilateral relationship to an all-round strategic cooperative partnership in the new era. Those are manifestations of the leadership’s firm pledges to sustain an enduring China-South Africa friendship.

The Chinese Embassy and Consulates in South Africa, under the leadership of Ambassador Wu Peng, have consistently prioritised youth empowerment on their agendas. The Chinese Consulate General in Johannesburg has established the annual “Driving Education Culture” initiative to help foster a favourable and enabling environment where the entire society cares for the youth and values education. 

Through close collaboration with local governments and communities, the Consulate General of China in Johannesburg has carried out a series of fruitful activities, bearing in mind the objectives of youth upliftment and educational support.

The shared history and common future between China and South Africa are the solid foundation and driving force for the friendship among our youth.

In June last year, the Consulate General of China in Johannesburg organised a themed short video competition for secondary school learners, encouraging the youth to reflect on both South Africa’s 1976 Soweto Uprising and China’s May Fourth Movement.

More than one hundred participants from over twenty schools in Gauteng and the Free State submitted their creative entries in a variety of creative forms, including drama, speech, song, and dance, which vividly portrayed the heroic struggles of both countries against colonial oppression.

Together, we paid tribute to, learned from, and gained strength from the shared legacy of Chinese and South African youth in their pursuit of freedom, justice, and progress. The event received a warm response from students, teachers, parents, and educators, proving that the short video competition not only helped students to gain a deeper understanding of the two nations’ histories but also served to enhance people-to-people exchanges and heart-to-heart connections.

The Consulate General of China in Johannesburg still welcomes and expects more quality submissions in the ongoing “China–South Africa Learner Correspondent” short video competition, in celebration of Youth Month.

Cultural exchanges and mutual learning are bridges and bonds for our youth. In 2023, President Xi Jinping solemnly put forth the Global Civilisation Initiative, which calls for upholding the common values of humanity, emphasising both heritage and innovation and strengthening international people-to-people exchanges and cooperation.

June 10, 2025, marked the first International Day for Dialogue Among Civilisations of the United Nations. In the face of the immense global impact from transformations unseen in a century, interactions among civilisations are of vital importance. Dialogue among civilisations is abounding in peace, a driver for development, and a bridge of friendship.

The people of China and South Africa are close in hearts, respect and appreciate each other’s cultures, and are committed to strengthening their affinity through more cultural exchange and dialogue.

South Africa hosts the largest number of Confucius Institutes and Confucius Classrooms in Africa. Mandarin and Chinese culture have become increasingly popular in South Africa, with the province of Gauteng planning to introduce Mandarin as a subject in public schools across the province.

The 17th “Chinese Bridge” Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign Secondary School Students in South Africa was held in Johannesburg in June 2024. The contestants’ wonderful performance and their passion left me deeply touched and impressed. What is exhilarating to note is that Mpemnyama Piko Hlobisa, the South African champion, went on to achieve outstanding results at the global finals, which epitomise the fruitful cultural exchanges between China and South Africa, and meanwhile showcase the strong momentum and bright prospects of such exchanges driven by the youth.

Supporting schools and nurturing talents are manifestations of actions, among others, arising from China-South Africa educational collaboration. As former President of the Republic of South Africa, Nelson Mandela once said, ''Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world''.

For years, the Chinese government has provided scholarships to qualifying South African students to study in China.

In November last year, the Consulate General of China in Johannesburg, in partnership with the Gauteng Provincial Legislature, established the“Consul General Bursary Programme”, providing support to 18 high-achieving students from disadvantaged backgrounds across four universities.

Speaker of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature, Mme Morakane Mosupyoe, said the programme exemplifies both sides’ commitment to education and youth empowerment, and that the timely assistance will reward those young people for life.

The Consulate General of China in Johannesburg has collaborated with the Free State Provincial Government to support top-performing matriculants.

Together with the caring Chinese enterprises, Chinesecommunities and local partners, I have visited over a dozen local schools, donating desks and chairs to the Progress Comprehensive High School in Soweto, planting fruit trees to Parktown High School for Girls in Johannesburg, handing out school shoes and stationery to Tshiya College of Education and Thiboloha School of the Disabled in Maluti-a-Phofung.

The Consulate General of China in Johannesburg has recently assisted in building a borehole system and JoJo tanks at JC Motumi Secondary School in Kutlwanong.

We take immense pride in helping learners overcome difficulties and improve their learning environments. All the smiles on children’s faces reaffirm the value and meaning of our efforts.

Joint advancement of modernisation of our two countries creates vast opportunities for our youth to excel. Last year, the Consulate General of China in Johannesburg partnered with the University of the Witwatersrand to launch a Youth Leadership Tour of China.

The delegation had a powerful engagement with faculty and students at Peking University. The students chanted “From Great Hall to Great Wall” on the Great Wall in Beijing and performed traditional Zulu dances at Shanghai’s People’s Square. They also experienced cutting-edge innovation at the headquarters of Huawei in Shenzhen.

Upon returning to South Africa, Wits University hosted a Reflections Seminar, where delegates enthusiastically shared their observations on how to adapt China’s developmental experiences to South Africa’s context. Professor Garth Stevens, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Mr.Tshegofaso Mogaladi, Deputy Dean of Student Affairs, said that this visit holds great significance in enhancing mutual understanding between the youth while cementing their confidence to contribute as future leaders to South Africa's development and China-South Africa cooperation.

The Consulate General of China in Johannesburg has organised dialogues between its young diplomats and the University of Johannesburg students for two consecutive years. Young people engaged in vibrant discussions on topics ranging from China’s path to modernisation to the role of youth, as well as China-South Africa collaboration in areas such as sci-tech innovation, climate action, economy, and trade.

Through intellectual exchanges and cross-pollination, they deepened mutual understanding, forged consensus and reinforced their shared resolve to contribute youthful energy towards realising common modernisation.

Prof Letlhokwa Mpedi, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Johannesburg, spoke highly of the dialogue, saying that strengthened exchanges between youth, the future builders, will erect more bridges of friendship and cooperation for the nations. We have good reason to believe that the younger generation will display their full and excellent role on the journey of common modernisation.

Like the rising sun, the youth brings brilliant prospects. China and South Africa are bound together by shared history, common developmental tasks and strategic interests. The youth serve as the vanguard in building a high-level China-South Africa community with a shared future and advancing our all-round strategic cooperative partnership in the new era.

May the young generations of both nations grow from strength to strength, carrying forward with vigour and unity our friendly and highly cooperative relationship forever.

Mr. PAN Qingjiang is the Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Johannesburg.