South Africa and China have moved closer to opening an artificial intelligence talent centre in South Africa. Officials from both countries discussed the plan at a meeting in Wuhan, China, on Wednesday.
Dr Nomalungelo Gina, the Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, led the South African side. She met Zhang Guangjun, China’s Vice Minister of Science and Technology. The talks took place on the sidelines of the 2026 China-Africa Innovation Cooperation and Development Forum.
The project is called the Artificial Intelligence Talent Development and Innovation Centre. Gina said it would help deal with South Africa’s shortage of digital skills. She said it would also build the country’s ability to develop and use AI technology.
“The centre will strengthen innovation capabilities and deepen the bilateral cooperation between our countries in the field of artificial intelligence,” Gina said.
Preparatory work has already started, South African Daily reported. A Chinese technical team is expected to travel to South Africa. The team will carry out a first technical assessment of the project.
Gina said South Africa was ready to carry out its science and technology agreements with China.
“The China-Africa Innovation and Cooperation Development Forum remains important to South Africa, and we are ready, as the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation, to implement the agreements we have entered into,” she said.
Zhang said ties between the two countries had kept growing under Presidents Cyril Ramaphosa and Xi Jinping. He said cooperation had expanded across several sectors. He said China wanted cooperation that benefits both sides in the digital economy, artificial intelligence and new energy.
The two countries upgraded their relationship in September 2024. They call it an all-round strategic cooperative partnership in the new era. That agreement named AI, the digital economy and new energy as areas for joint work.
Beyond AI, the two sides named advanced manufacturing, biotechnology and 5G mobile technology as further priority areas. They also named the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) as an important base for scientific work between the two countries.
Both sides said universities, research institutions and industry needed to work more closely together. They said this would help turn scientific research into practical uses for the economy and society.
The meeting also covered plans for South Africa to host the Open Science International Conference in 2027. The conference is a joint project of China, South Africa, Brazil and the African Union.
The two countries agreed to keep their scientific and technical teams in contact. They will develop specific projects, review existing agreements and draw up an action plan to carry them out.
Source: this article is based on reporting by South African Daily. Image: South African Daily. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice Technology desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Werner Jacobs covers technology for Tzaneen Voice. Werner reports on mobile networks, data prices, internet access, smartphones, apps, AI, cybersecurity and South African tech companies. Each story explains what a new product, price change or policy means for ordinary users in South Africa.