South Africa is seeking to deepen its technology and innovation partnership with China as the country takes centre stage at the 19th Pujiang Innovation Forum in Shanghai, where cooperation in artificial intelligence, biotechnology, space science, green energy and advanced manufacturing is expected to feature prominently.
South Africa has been named Country of Honour at the forum, becoming the first African country to receive the designation. Led by Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Prof. Blade Nzimande, a delegation of scientists, researchers and innovators is participating in the Shanghai gathering from September 11 to 14.
Beyond showcasing South African scientific capabilities, the visit underlines a growing effort by Pretoria and Beijing to translate their long-standing diplomatic relationship into deeper cooperation in technology, research, innovation and industrial development.
The forum comes at a time when South Africa and China are seeking to strengthen collaboration in strategic sectors that could shape future economic growth, including artificial intelligence, green hydrogen, digital innovation, biotechnology, satellite technology and climate science.
The two countries reinforced their commitment to closer cooperation in March 2026 during the 9th South Africa-China Bi-National Commission, held in South Africa during the working visit by Chinese Vice President Han Zheng.
Held under the theme, “South Africa-China Relations in an Era of Global Transformation: Advancing Shared Modernisation,” the commission focused on strengthening cooperation in response to a rapidly changing global environment while promoting inclusive growth, industrial development and technological progress.
South Africa’s participation in the Pujiang Innovation Forum is therefore expected to build on those commitments by creating new opportunities for research partnerships, technology transfer and investment.
The Department of Science, Technology and Innovation said the Country of Honour status offers South Africa a strategic platform to promote not only its national innovation capabilities but also Africa’s wider science, technology and innovation agenda.
“As the first African country to be designated Country of Honour, we also view our participation in the 19th Pujiang Innovation Forum as a unique opportunity to advance Africa’s ST&I agenda as articulated in STISA 2034,” the department said in a programme presentation document.
For South Africa, cooperation with China presents an opportunity to connect its universities, research institutions and technology agencies with one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing innovation ecosystems.
The delegation is expected to hold bilateral meetings and undertake site visits across Shanghai, exploring cooperation in climate change and sustainability, health innovation and biotechnology, as well as space science and astronomy.
Other priority areas include artificial intelligence and digital innovation, green hydrogen and the energy transition, advanced manufacturing, mining innovation, ocean research and public science engagement.
South Africa’s participation also brings together some of the country’s leading research institutions, including the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Technology Innovation Agency, South African National Space Agency, National Research Foundation, South African Radio Astronomy Observatory and Agricultural Research Council.
Several universities and innovation institutions will also be represented.
The presence of Chinese technology companies at the forum could open further opportunities for collaboration between South African researchers and China’s fast-expanding private innovation sector.
Among the companies expected to participate are artificial intelligence firm MiniMax Group, Shanghai Yuanxin Satellite Technology Company and Shanghai ZJ Bio-Tech Company.
The South African delegation is expected to use the forum to explore partnerships that can move beyond research exchanges and towards commercialisation, technology transfer and the development of solutions for African markets.
A dedicated South African pavilion will showcase locally developed technologies designed to address social, environmental and economic challenges.
Among the innovations on display are climate-intelligence tools for farmers, hydrogen technologies, earth-observation applications, climate-smart mushroom farming and assistive technologies for people with visual impairments.
Other exhibits will focus on smart energy-data management for municipalities, indigenous medicine research, radio astronomy, sustainable agriculture, wildfire disaster-management technology and marine and environmental observation.
For Beijing, stronger scientific and technological links with South Africa also fit into China’s broader engagement with Africa, which is increasingly shifting towards digital infrastructure, innovation, green development and high-technology industries.
South Africa, with its relatively advanced research institutions, industrial base and growing technology sector, is well positioned to serve as a bridge between Chinese innovation companies and African markets.
The Shanghai forum will therefore be about more than displaying South African inventions. It represents a growing push to position China-South Africa technology cooperation as a central pillar of the two countries’ broader strategic partnership.
As competition for leadership in artificial intelligence, clean energy, biotechnology and space technology intensifies globally, Pretoria’s engagement with Beijing offers an opportunity for both countries to move their relationship into a new phase—one driven increasingly by innovation, shared research and the development of technologies capable of addressing Africa’s development challenges.
