South Africa To Send 100 Students To China For Training In Critical Future Skills

Department of Higher Education and Training is all set to send about 100 South African students to China next year to study important future skills to address the skills mismatch across South Africa.

During a media briefing in Pretoria on Monday, Minister of Higher Education and Training Nobuhle Nkabane announced this as soon as he returned from China, where she was part of President Cyril Ramaphosa's delegation at the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Summit in Beijing.

Nkabane stressed that South Africa has a strong and growing partnership with China in higher education and training, which supports South Africa's development of knowledge and skills. She added that this visit aligned with South Africa's goals for technological advancement and international cooperation in education.

The minister, along with National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) Administrator Freeman Nomvalo, held a joint media briefing to update on a four-day Ministerial Stakeholder engagement program. This program ran from Sept. 12 to Sept. 15.

First day of the event, Nkabane met with stakeholders in the Post-School Education and Training (PSET) sector to gather input and suggestions on policy issues affecting the PSET system.

NSFAS was involved in these meetings, where students, universities and TVET colleges shared their views and ideas on improving the institutions.

The minister also consulted with various PSET governance groups, including the South African Union of Students (SAUS), South African Further Education and Training Student Association (SAFETSA), South African Public Colleges Organisation (SACPO), and Universities South Africa (USAF).

"It was due to these critical consultations that we have had to postpone the launch of the 2025 NSFAS online application launch, which is a significant concern for students nationwide," the minister said, SA News reported.

She added, "Another reason for postponing the launch of the 2025 NSFAS online application process was to allow NSFAS to do a dry run of the online application system to stakeholders."

Earlier this month, during a speech at the South Africa-China Business Forum, Ramaphosa President Cyril Ramaphosa told Chinese companies that there are many opportunities to set up manufacturing operations in South Africa, thanks to the country's strong industrial expertise.

Ramaphosa also noted that South Africa is all set to transform its economy by becoming a major manufacturing hub.