ButiManamela,DeputyMinisterinthePresidency,SouthAfrica
WhenZhangQiaowencametoSouthAfricatopursueherPh.D.atStellenboschUniversityin2014,sheneverthoughtthatitwouldbesodifficulttosaygoodbye.
“IwenttoSouthAfricaasastranger,”shesaid.“Ileftthreeyearslaterasanadmirerofthisgreatnation.”
Togivebacktothecountrythatembracedher,ZhangnowhelpssupportfourschoolchildrenthroughtheImibalaTrust,aSouthAfricanNGOworkingwithschool-agechildrenfromdisadvantagedcommunities.
Butshewantstodomoretoempowertheseyoungpeopleaftertheyfinishtheirschooling.“Everytimewemetandtalked,Icouldfeeltheirstrongdesiretocontinuetheireducationandchangetheirlives,”saidZhang,nowalecturerattheZhejiangNormalUniversityineastChina.
ThisledZhangandherfriendstosetuptheChinaAfricaBridge,across-bordere-commerceplatformhelpinglinkyoungAfricanentrepreneurswiththeirChinesecounterparts.WiththeparticipationofChinesecompanies,logisticssupportandbankingservices,itwillcomeintoserviceinthenearfuture.
Ontheothersideofthecoinis29-year-oldSouthAfricanKamogotsitseBosielo.Hedidn’tknowwhattoexpectwhenhearrivedinBeijingtopursuehismaster’sdegreeininternationalrelationsin2013.
HisstayinChinaprovedtobeagreathelpinhiscareerdevelopment,hesaid.HefoundopportunitiestoexperienceChinesecultureandlearnMandarinChinesebeforereturninghome.
BosielonowworksatHuaweiTechnologiesSouthAfricaasamanagerresponsibleforbusinessdevelopmentandclientrelationsmanagement.Huaweiisaworldleadinginformationcommunicationstechnology(ICT)companybasedinChina,
“Exchangesamongpeopleforenhancedmutualunderstandingarethebasisforcooperationinallaspectsbetweenthetwocountries,”saidZhang.“That’swhypeople-to-peopleconnectivityisanimportantpartoftheBeltandRoadInitiative.”
Corevalues
ZhangandBosielo’sstoriesarenotunique.Frequentlypeople-to-peopleexchangesinthetwocountriesinrecentyearshaveseenincreasesinthenumbersofChinesestudentsstudyinginSouthAfricaandSouthAfricanstudentsstudyinginChina.TheexchangealsosawtheestablishmentofConfuciusInstitutesandsisterprovincesandcities,andthelaunchofSouthAfricaYearinChinain2014andChinaYearinSouthAfricain2015.
Tofurtherpromoteexchangesamongtheirpeoples,thetwogovernmentsrecentlylaunchedtheChinaSouthAfricaHighLevelPeople-to-PeopleExchangeMechanism(PPEM).
InauguratedonApril24inSouthAfrica,thePPEMseekstodeepenmutualunderstandingandenhanceexchangesandcooperation,especiallyintheareasofculture,education,communications,health,scienceandtechnology,sports,tourism,andwomenandyouthaffairs.
SouthAfricaisthefirstAfricancountrytolaunchPPEMwithChina.AstrategicdecisionmadebyChinesePresidentXiJinpingandSouthAfricanPresidentJacobZuma,itisalsopartofthefollow-upactionstoimplementtheoutcomesoftheJohannesburgSummitoftheForumonChina-AfricaCooperation(FOCAC)heldinSouthAfricainDecember2015.
China-SouthAfricarelationshavewitnessedrapidgrowthsincetheestablishmentofdiplomatictiesin1998.“Inthegrowthprocess,achievementsinbilateralpragmaticcooperationhavebeenfruitful,”saidVicePremierLiuYandongatthePPEMlaunchceremony.
Deliveringonpromises
Threeagreementsandthreememorandumsofunderstandingweresignedintheareasofartsandculture,highereducationandtraining,communicationandscienceandtechnologyatthePPWMlaunch.
Newprojectsannouncedincludeyouthexchange,trainingandjointresearchprograms.
“ItistheordinarySouthAfricanandChinesecitizensthatwillbethegreatestbeneficiariesofthePPEM,”saidButiManamela,DeputyMinisterinthePresidencyofSouthAfrica.
Specificdeliverablestothevarioussectorsarediverse.
Inartsandculture,ayouthexchangeprograminthissectorisproposed.Performingartsandballetinstitutionswillbeamongthefirsttoreaptherewards.
ExchangesinscienceandtechnologywillbenefitfromaflagshipresearchanddevelopmentprogramfocusingonbigdataintheICTfield.Jointresearchcentersandahi-techparkinGautengarealsopartoftheprogram.
ASouthAfrica-ChinaHi-TechExhibitionwillbeheldlaterthisyearinBeijingtofosterinnovationandtechnologypartnershipsandskilltransfers.
ExchangeprogramsforartisanalandtechnicalskilldevelopmentforyoungwomenandanexchangeprogramtoexposeSouthAfricanwomentoChinesebusinessskillshavealsobeenplanned.
Intermsoftourism,SouthAfricantouristguidesandfrontlinestaffinthissectorarebeingtrainedinMandarintobetterservethemarket,whilethecommunicationssectorhasavarietyoftrainingandcooperationactivitiesplanned.Chinahassetupanofficecoordinatingitsministerialleveldepartmentsinpromotingpeople-to-peopleexchangeswithSouthAfrica.Ithastwothinktanksofferingintellectualsupport.Atthesametime,SouthAfricaalsoestablishedasimilarinter-ministerialcommittee.Moreinvestmentforums,academicandculturalexchangeeventsareimminent.
Moretoanticipate
AtthesecondAfrica-ChinaYouthFestival,asideeventofthePPEMinauguration,AudruyGomba,anunemployedcollegegraduatefromJohannesburg,foundthefestivalandotherexchangeeventshelpfulingettingtoknowChinesepeopleandpursuinghisownbusinessideas.
“China’seconomyisNo.2intheworld,”saidGomba.“SosharingwithChinesepeopleisveryimportant.IhopewehavemoreengagementwithChina.”
GombasaidhehopedtoseeaSouthAfricantownbuiltinChinaonedaywhereChinesecouldlearntospeakZulu,hisnativelanguage.
SheriffoMboge,ayouthactivistandaboardmemberoftheGambia’sNationalYouthCouncil,saidthatitisveryimportantforAfricancountriestoknowChina.
“IamplanningsuchexchangesintheGambia,so[that]ouryoungpeoplecanhavetheopportunitytogotoChinaandChineseyoungpeoplecangototheGambiaforculturalexchangeandstudy,”saidMboge.CA
CelebratingthelaunchofChina-SouthAfricaPPEMandthe23rdanniversaryofFreedomandDemocracyinSouthAfricaonApril25,2017,inPretoria