South Africa's avocado has found a steady market in China thanks to an agreement signed between the two countries in August 2023. Today avocado farming is a flourishing industry in South Africa, creating much-needed jobs for local people.

In addition to avocado, other South African products such as wine, rooibos tea, and aloe vera gel have become celebrity products in China, bought and sold online. Meanwhile, a large number of Chinese enterprises have also expanded their footprint in South Africa. The "made in South Africa" Chinese cars and home appliances are a hot favorite with African consumers.

This year marks the 26th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between China and South Africa. South Africa has been China's largest trading partner in Africa for 13 consecutive years.

Also as members of BRICS, the two countries have remained close. South Africa was the first African country to sign a Belt and Road cooperation document with China, and their cooperation at both governmental and non-governmental levels has been substantial.

In August 2023, China and South Africa signed 25 cooperation agreements, ranging from energy investment and digital industrialization to space cooperation.

One area of significant collaboration is renewable energy. South Africa has abundant solar and wind energy resources and Chinese companies are supporting the country's energy transition by undertaking a series of green energy projects there.

A notable example is the De Aar wind power project in De Aar town, which was connected to the grid in 2017 with a total installed capacity of 244,500 kilowatts. This project has alleviated South Africa's power shortages, boosted the local economy and contributed to environmental sustainability.

In early September, just ahead of the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), China and South Africa announced the establishment of a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in the new era.

On September 2, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the China Association for Science and Technology and South Africa's Ministry of Science and Innovation to deepen collaboration in science and technology and promote engineering and mathematics education. It will also lead to mutual recognition of each other's engineers, and encourage greater participation of women in science and technology.

According to a FOCAC partnership initiative for rural revitalization and people's wellbeing, China will build 100,000 mu (about 6,670 hectares) of standardized agriculture demonstration areas in Africa, send 500 agricultural experts to African countries, and build a China-Africa agricultural science and technology innovation alliance.

These efforts will encourage businesses from both China and South Africa to invest and establish ventures across borders, consolidating the foundation for long-term cooperation and mutual growth and contributing to the development of the Global South.

(By CHEN Chunyou from Science and Technology Daily)