"Chinese Bridge" Competition for University Students – South African Final

On May 14, the 25th "Chinese Bridge" Chinese Proficiency Competition for University Students – South African Final was successfully held. This competition is presented under the auspices of the Center for Language Education and Cooperation and the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in South Africa, hosted by the Chinese Medicine Confucius Institute at the University of the Western Cape, South Africa, and exclusively sponsored by Longyuan South Africa Renewable Energy (Pty) Ltd. Chinese Ambassador to South Africa Wu Peng delivered a video speech, while Professor Robert Balfour, Rector of the University of the Western Cape, and Ren Faqiang, Consul General of China in Cape Town, attended and addressed the event. Over 500 attendees, including students, faculty, and parents from seven South African universities hosting Confucius Institutes, were present at the final.

During the final, 22 contestants competed in multiple segments—including a written Chinese test, thematic speeches, and Chinese cultural talent showcases—all centered around the theme "One Family, One World." After intense competition, Sixolise Tshobonga from the Confucius Institute at Durban University of Technology won the first prize. The Confucius Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) received the Outstanding Organization Award.

As the host of the competition, the Confucius Institute at UWC selected four contestants to represent it: Viwe Buthelezi, Ria Ronewa Ndou, Sarah Jane Holmes, and Liam James. With their solid Chinese language skills and outstanding stage performance, they fully demonstrated the comprehensive qualities and youthful vitality of students from the University of the Western Cape.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the founding of the "Chinese Bridge" competition and the 10th anniversary of Chinese being incorporated into South Africa’s national education system. Against the backdrop of the "Year of China-Africa Cultural and People-to-People Exchanges," "Chinese Bridge" not only provides a platform for young South Africans to showcase their Chinese language proficiency and cultural understanding but also continues to promote exchanges and mutual learning between the youth of China and South Africa, injecting new vitality into deepening cultural and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.