Chinese proficiency competition held in South Africa to promote youth exchanges

CAPE TOWN, May 15 (Xinhua) -- The South Africa final of the 25th "Chinese Bridge" Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign College Students has concluded in Cape Town, where participants showcased strong Chinese language skills and cultural talents.

Hosted by the Confucius Institute at the University of the Western Cape (UWC), the event took place on Thursday at the UWC Main Hall. This year's competition, themed "One World, One Family," included a China-related knowledge quiz, a Chinese language proficiency test, and cultural performance segments.

In a video message, Chinese Ambassador to South Africa Wu Peng said the competition carried special significance, as it coincided with the Year of China-Africa People-to-People Exchanges, the 10th anniversary of the inclusion of the Chinese language in South Africa's national education system, and the 25th anniversary of the competition.

"I would like to share with you what I see as the threefold meaning of the 'Chinese Bridge': it is a bridge of language, a bridge of culture, and, above all, a bridge of friendship," he said.

The ambassador said the competition has evolved into a platform for cultural exchange and mutual learning, strengthening people-to-people ties between China and South Africa.

"The shared vision of our two leaders makes clear that exchanges between peoples -- with language as their carrier -- are an essential part of China-Africa cooperation," Wu added.

Wu's remarks were echoed by Ren Faqiang, Chinese consul general in Cape Town, who said the 2026 China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges would bring new momentum to China-South Africa cultural cooperation and expand platforms for youth engagement.

He noted that China's recent zero-tariff policy for South Africa would create more development opportunities for young people in both countries, adding that deeper cooperation requires more young people who understand each other's languages and cultures.

Ren urged South African students to take the competition as a new starting point to deepen their Chinese studies, encouraging them to become not only "learners of Chinese language," but also "promoters of Chinese culture" and "contributors to practical cooperation."

Robert Balfour, rector and vice-chancellor of the UWC, also noted that the competition was held during the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges and marked a decade since Mandarin was introduced into South Africa's school curriculum as a second additional language, which reflected a more globalized environment and growing interest in the Chinese language among South African youth.

Balfour said language learning could help narrow distances between people and strengthen connections across the Global South and the Northern Hemisphere, while learning the Chinese language could transform China from "a distant country" into "a very close neighbor."

"So language -- when we talk about the 'bridge' in this title of the program -- is really meant to be a bridge into insight, a bridge into inclusion, a bridge into understanding," he said.

A total of 22 university students from across the country delivered speeches and cultural performances during the competition, drawing strong audience response throughout the event.

After a competitive day, Tshobonga Sixolise, a third-year student at Durban University of Technology, emerged as the winner. Sixolise, whose Chinese name is Li Jinghe, will represent South Africa in the global finals to be held in China.