Introducing the seminar, Ni Yanshuo, chief reporter of the Africa Bureau of the CICG Centre for Europe and Africa, said the world is undergoing a new wave of scientific and technological revolution, accompanied by profound industrial transformation and upgrading. As countries face shared challenges, including climate change, energy security, environmental protection and economic transformation, China and African countries are deepening exchanges and cooperation in green technology. China’s strengths in wind turbine equipment and solar photovoltaic manufacturing, he noted, can help African countries develop clean energy. 

Gundo Maswime, CEO of the Musina-Makhado Special Economic Zone, speaks at the seminar (Xiong Weijie)

Gundo Maswime, CEO of the Musina-Makhado Special Economic Zone, a national special economic zone in Limpopo Province, said that since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012, China has pursued high-quality development, placing greater emphasis on the quality of growth rather than simply its speed. He said Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era had provided the guiding framework for this shift, stressing that the benefits of economic growth should be shared by all rather than concentrated in the hands of a particular group. China’s announcement in 2021 that it had eliminated absolute poverty nationwide, he added, was an important achievement in this regard. 

The Musina-Makhado Special Economic Zone is a flagship industrialisation project led by the Limpopo Provincial Government and the Limpopo Economic Development Agency. Approved and subsequently gazetted in December 2017, the zone aims to promote regional trade and create jobs near South Africa’s northern border. Its development draws on China’s experience with special economic zones, including cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative. 

Advancing inclusive growth 

Tovhowani Maswime, director of the Directorate of Mathematics, Science and Technology in the Limpopo Provincial Government, said that from a government perspective, green technology is more than an environmental priority. It can also strengthen economies, improve public services, expand access to energy, create jobs and build resilient communities. 

Panel discussion on China-Africa green technology cooperation and governance exchanges (Ni Yanshuo)

He said China’s experience offers useful lessons. Its strategic planning and sustained investment in innovation, renewable energy, digital technology and industrial capacity demonstrate how sustainability can go hand in hand with economic growth and modernisation. African countries, he added, should draw on these lessons while adapting them to their own needs and priorities. 

Ndivhuwo Madzusa, acting director of International Relations in the Limpopo Provincial Government, stressed the importance of people-to-people exchanges and technology transfer in strengthening governance capacity. Drawing on China’s experience, several African governments have promoted local manufacturing, technology transfer and integration into global supply chains. China has supported the development of special economic zones, industrial parks and local processing facilities in countries including Nigeria, Ethiopia and Senegal. South Africa is also pursuing this approach, with Chinese companies investing in its special economic zones. In Limpopo, cooperation with China includes the development of the Musina-Makhado Special Economic Zone and the Fetakgomo-Tubatse Special Economic Zone. 

In 2023, Henan Province in China hosted a delegation of 10 public servants from Limpopo, North West and Mpumalanga provinces in South Africa. The delegation participated in a training programme designed to promote learning, exchange experiences and share ideas, thereby strengthening the participants’ professional capabilities. Henan has continued to host delegations from the three provinces under the same programme. 

Delivering lasting benefits 

Jethro Zuwarimwe, a professor in UNIVEN’s Faculty of Science, Engineering and Agriculture, said a central lesson is that green technology does not automatically lead to green development. Institutions, policy choices, financing, skills, industrial capabilities and public accountability all help determine who benefits and whether environmental gains can be sustained. 

An attendee interacts with panellists (Xiong Weijie) 

He said China’s experience in strategic coordination, innovation, infrastructure and industrial development offers valuable lessons, but Africa’s development path must be African-owned and adapted to the continent’s diverse conditions. The success of cooperation should not be measured by the volume of equipment imported or the number of projects announced, but by the reliability of services delivered, local capabilities developed, productive enterprises established, decent jobs created, ecosystems protected and livelihoods improved. 

“The opportunity before us is to turn green technology cooperation into a practical instrument for Africa’s sustainable modernisation,” he stressed. 

Mukundi Mushaphi, manager of Local Economic Development at Vhembe District Municipality, said that the Chinese government places strong emphasis on technological development and draws on its most talented people to advance it. 

African countries should therefore cooperate with China and learn from its experience, according to Mushapi. Their governments can draw lessons from China, provided they adapt them to the characteristics and culture of each country. China is advanced in technology, while Africa can harness its natural resources to improve the living standards of its people. Through cooperation, China and Africa can grow together.