South Africa is taking these homegrown technologies to China
PRETORIA — South Africa will become the first African country to take centre stage as Country of Honour at China’s Pujiang Innovation Forum this week, putting locally developed technologies ranging from hydrogen and radio astronomy to artificial intelligence for farmers before international investors and researchers.
A delegation led by Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Blade Nzimande will travel to Shanghai for the 19th Pujiang Innovation Forum from 11 to 14 September, where South Africa will use a dedicated pavilion to showcase technologies developed by local scientists, universities and research institutions.
The Country of Honour designation is significant because South Africa is the first African nation to receive it, providing Pretoria with an opportunity to position itself not simply as a recipient of international technology, but as a source of research and innovation with applications across the continent.
Among the technologies being taken to China are climate intelligence tools designed to help farmers make better decisions, hydrogen technologies, earth observation systems, climate smart mushroom farming and assistive technology for visually impaired people.
South African researchers will also showcase smart energy data systems for municipalities, indigenous medicine research, radio astronomy, wildfire disaster management technology, sustainable agriculture and marine and environmental monitoring.
Some of the country’s most important scientific institutions will participate, including the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, South African National Space Agency, National Research Foundation, South African Radio Astronomy Observatory, Agricultural Research Council and Technology Innovation Agency, alongside several universities.
The delegation is expected to pursue research partnerships, technology transfer and investment while positioning South Africa as an entry point into Africa’s wider innovation economy.
That objective fits into a much larger China Africa technology relationship. Under the Forum on China Africa Cooperation’s 2025 to 2027 action plan, the two sides committed to expanding joint laboratories, technology transfer, science and technology parks and cooperation in areas including spatial information, sustainable development and innovation.
South Africa’s appearance in Shanghai also coincides with 28 years of diplomatic relations between Pretoria and Beijing and follows the ninth South Africa China Bi National Commission held earlier this year.
For South Africa, however, the real measure of the Shanghai appearance will be what follows the exhibition. Being the first African Country of Honour provides visibility, but converting locally developed science into investment, commercial partnerships and technologies deployed at scale would give the designation considerably greater value.
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