The University of Cape Town (UCT) and Sun Yat-sen University (SYSU) held a ceremony on October 9 to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Confucius Institute at UCT. The event brought together more than 100 guests from the political, business, educational, and cultural sectors of both China and South Africa.

Jointly established by SYSU and UCT in 2010, the Confucius Institute has become an important bridge for cultural exchange and mutual learning between the two countries. Over the past 15 years, it has trained more than 20,000 learners and played a vital role in promoting Chinese language education and cultural understanding in South Africa.

At the celebration, Wenze You, Chinese Consul General in Cape Town, noted that enthusiasm for learning Chinese has been growing rapidly across South Africa. Through studying the language, more South Africans have deepened their understanding of China and its culture. With strong support from both governments, the Confucius Institute at UCT has become an important window for China–South Africa cultural exchange, enriching campus life, enhancing mutual understanding and lasting friendship, and showcasing the vitality and warmth of bilateral ties.

[Photo/ CCTV News]

Professor Brandon Collier-Reed, Acting Vice-Chancellor of UCT, said that the Confucius Institute not only teaches language but also promotes mutual understanding through art, research, and film. He noted that its presence on campus is essential, as it provides students with not only a path to learning a new language but also “a new perspective on the world.”

Yaping Guo, Executive Vice Chair of the University Council of SYSU, highlighted that since Chinese was included in South Africa’s national education system in 2015, the “Chinese language fever” has continued to rise. She expressed the hope that the two universities will further deepen academic cooperation, advance joint talent cultivation, and produce more fruitful results through their long-standing friendship.

Chinese was incorporated into South Africa’s national education system in 2015. In August 2019, the governments of China and South Africa jointly designated September 17 as “Chinese Language Day” in South Africa, marking the growing cultural ties between the two nations.

[Photo/ CCTV News]