Broad-based education across Africa needs to receive more investment from China to facilitate technology transfer
When looking at China’s 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-15), we observe that the country has singled out several industries, such as new energy resources and biotechnology, and has expressed its aspiration to support related businesses in order to compete on a global scale. It seems thatChina’s effort has turned out positively in some areas. These efforts were based on unprecedented growth rates for the last three decades, which might now be a matter of the past. Yet, meanwhileChinahas transformed itself from a country that copies Western and other Asian competitors to one that has the most number of patent filings worldwide. Based on this experience,Chinahas explicitly emphasized scientific and technological cooperation with African countries through the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). In this context, a question has arisen concerning whether the African countries are ready to take advantage of these opportunities and whether this cooperation can bring about tangible outcomes rather than rhetorical propaganda.
Until Chairman Mao’s death, China’s economic interaction with the outside world was minimal or non-existent, and intellectuals and educated elites were denigrated. It is thus not surprising thatChina’s economy lagged behind modern technology during that period. However, the status ofChina’s science and technology today is in sharp contrast. According to UNESCO’s 2011 statistics, the Chinese Government spent 13 percent of its GDP on education, and the literacy rate ofChina’s youth reached nearly 99 percent. Certainly, several problems exist with the Chinese style of education. Many parents suffer from “education fever,” and this exam-driven phenomenon has resulted in the “tiger mom” syndrome of overly ambitious parents. In addition, inequality exists between the rural and urban areas in terms of access to quality education. Nevertheless, the government’s continuous efforts to expand facilities and modernize the content of the Chinese education system will become the basis for human resource development inChina. Along with the improvements in basic education, strategic and significant expenditures on research and development (R&D) are noticeable and will lead to the country’s further economic growth. Currently,China’s expenditures on R&D make the country the world’s third-largest R&D performer, after theUnited StatesandJapan. Unprecedented support from the government and the increase of private capital in the technology sector will further contribute toChina’s transformation.
Science and technology
China’s confidence, based on its development experience, is revealed clearly through FOCAC. The series of meetings has highlighted scientific and technological cooperation and related capacity-building programs, including scholarships for African students, training for professionals in various fields and the provision of hardware. The pledge can be closely related to the increasing presence of Chinese investment in Africa. The Chinese Government’s support can dovetail with the interests of Chinese private investment on the continent, and bring about a synergistic effect. Thus far, Chinese investment in Africa has been led by state-owned companies, and these have been most prominent in the resource extractive sector. However, Chinese investment has become increasingly diversified over the last decade, and the manufacturing and service sectors have received a great deal of attention from Chinese investors. The manufacturing sector, in particular, is significant for the development of African countries; this sector can generate the jobs most African countries are hoping for, as well as result in a transfer of technology.
South Africa’s example
There already exists a successful example of Chinese investment in the manufacturing sector that can be seen as having potential. For instance, home-appliance and electronics manufacturer Hisense inSouth Africa, which is producing mainly TV-sets and refrigerators. The company built its new factory in the Western Cape in 2013. One of the greatest advantages of this investment was to create jobs in an area of greaterCape Townthat was largely impoverished and underprivileged for several decades. The company has hired approximately 500 workers (during the peak season, there will be more opportunities), and it is planning to expand the site. Furthermore, despite the expectation that workers would simply assemble components made inChina, the factory has been involved in the entire manufacturing process from scratch. Chinese engineers are allocated to each team and train local workers. The Hisense experience is a positive example that the Chinese authorities like to point toward. It can, indeed, be an exemplary case of Chinese investment and its positive implications for local communities. Nevertheless, the factory still relies on R&D fromChinaand its headquarters. When comparing the number of engineers registered in bothChinaandSouth Africa, Hisense itself employs around 100,000 engineers. This is not that surprising considering thatChinaalready graduated 600,000 new engineers per year in the mid-2000s. By contrast, the estimated absolute number of engineers inSouth Africain 2011 was between 32,000 and 35,000. The current population ofSouth Africais approximately 53 million. ConsideringChina’s population of 1.3 billion, we cannot simply compare the number of engineers. Nevertheless, what should be noted is thatChinahas taken concrete steps to encourage enrollments in science, engineering and technology and this is a part of its long-term development plan.
Education, education, education
China’s commitment through its cooperation mechanism and private investment is significant for African countries’ long-term and sustainable development. There is another promising aspect as well in terms of their engagement with the Chinese, and that is, African countries can benefit fromChina’s various levels of technology, especially the low-to-mid range levels. This can be a first step for those countries lacking human resources and facilities to begin to integrate high technology. The success of any technology transfer can be materialized only when the level of a host country’s human resources is similar to that of the home country. It is possible to observe that many African countries have adopted technology and modified it in a creative way. One example is mobile money transactions (M-Pesa) using mobile phones where a large segment of the population has difficulties accessing the Internet through landlines. However, a broad-based education across Africa needs to receive more investment. Without human resources, the people who live in most host countries are able to only assemble the already-manufactured components fromChinaor elsewhere. Only through investment in education and R&D can these countries successfully transform themselves and play a part in the global economy.
(The author is a Research Analyst at the Centre for Chinese Studies, Stellenbosch University)
