Nkangala and Wucheng share economic similarities, including mining, industry, agriculture, energy and manufacturing.
Industrialisation in South Africa is poised to advance with a $35 million (about R635 million) solar panel assembly investment partnership between China’s Wucheng city and the Nkangala district municipality in Mpumalanga.
The plant, scheduled to open next year, will generate jobs for the district, which has been hit by retrenchments and unemployment due to the closure of a number of coal mines over the years.
Origins of the Wucheng–Nkangala partnership
The partnership grew from a friendship between Africa Youth Entrepreneurs South Africa (Ayesa) and Golden Bridge Expo South Africa in 2024 through the latter’s Match-making Initiative.
The initiative led to Wucheng’s investment in Nkangala.
Ayesa national head Imram Makama said the Wucheng-Nkangala partnership is a threetier process.
It took government-to-government, city-to-city and private sector-to-private sector engagements.
He said the estimated cost of the assembly plant and training programmes is $35 million over three years.
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President of African Prosperity Fund Yavi Madurai, speaking at the fourth International Industrialisation & Machine Tools Southern Africa Trade Expo in Sandton yesterday, said the investment “signals that Africa’s districts and towns are ready to do business and international partnerships can be grounded in shared prosperity and local empowerment”.
Shared economic priorities between regions
Makama said Nkangala and Wucheng shared economic similarities, including mining, industry, agriculture, energy and manufacturing.
Although Nkangala is the industrial heartland of Mpumalanga with more than 100 mines, nine coal power stations and thousands of industrial jobs, the region is the most affected by the country’s Just Energy Transition.
“For that reason, we saw a perfect opportunity to pursue a sister city partnership to transform shared challenges between the two regions,” Makama said.
Chinese engagement and investment outreach
He visited five cities in China where he met CEOs, company founders and industrial manufacturers in July, and canvassed them to invest in SA.
“The response was overwhelmingly positive. These are not just deals on paper, they are blueprints for the future,” Makama said.
Golden Bridge general manager Fa Wenyan said the expo was not only an exhibition, but also a bridge connecting SA and the world, industry and innovation, opportunities and partnerships.
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