Deputy Minister, Dr Reginah Mhaule, travelled to China from 27 November to 2 December 2025 at the invitation of the Chinese Ministry of Education. The purpose of the visit was to strengthen bilateral cooperation between China and South Africa on Basic Education.
During her visit, the Deputy Minister visited the following institutions: Guizhou University and High School; Guizhou Provincial Education Department; Guizhou Normal University, Kindergarten and Primary School; Hubei Provincial Department of Education; China Central Normal University and Middle School; Beijing Normal University; and the Centre for Language Education and Cooperation.
During the bilateral visit, the following areas of cooperation were outlined: Building a capable teacher workforce; Capacity building in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects; Chinese language teaching and learning; Scholarships for South African students; Twinning programmes for schools in China and South Africa; Cooperation on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET); and Early Childhood Development.
During the engagements, South Africa was congratulated for successfully hosting the G20 Summit and emphasised the importance of multilateralism.
The schools visited include holistic development in their curriculum, as well as languages, sciences, social studies as well as the arts. Learners also attend compulsory physical activities. Notably, all the schools embraced the use of technology in the classroom.
The Deputy Minister further attended the People-to-People Exchange Mechanism (PPEM), at the invitation of President Cyril Ramaphosa on 3 December 2025. The PPEM is the instrument used by South Africa and China to form a bridge for cultivating talent, initiating and collaborating on scientific research, strengthening basic and higher education, and the development of human capital. The PPEM was led by Mr Gayton McKenzie, the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture.
At the PPEM the following areas for basic education were highlighted: twinning of primary and secondary schools; learning of the Chinese Language and IsiZulu; construction of Mega Focus Schools; exchange of expertise on STEM subjects; and capacity building for teachers.
Minister McKenzie also led a visit to the Beijing Foreign Studies University, where students are learning IsiZulu, Setswana, Sesotho, Afrikaans, and IsiNdebele. Some of the students participated in exchange programmes and visited Pretoria, Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban. There are active exchange programmes with the University of KwaZulu-Natal, University of the Witwatersrand and the University of Venda.
The Deputy Minister was accompanied by Dr Aaron Nkosi, Ms Elspeth Khembo, Mr Mboni Nematangari, Ms Nomsa Shabangu, Ms Ncedile Mdhluli and Ms Teboho Moja.