Chinese Ambassador Wu Peng delighted over South Africa's avocado shipment to China
China's Ambassador to South Africa, Wu Peng, during a previous interview with IOL.
Image: Supplied
Ambassador of China to South Africa, Wu Peng has expressed delight after this season's inaugural shipment of South African avocados successfully reached Shanghai, in the People's Republic of China, bolstering the unparalleled bilateral relations.
For more than a decade, China has been South Africa's largest trading partner. This position has been held by China since 2008, when it surpassed the United States. China is also South Africa's largest trading partner in Africa, with bilateral trade between the two countries accounting for a significant portion of China's total trade with the continent.
Diplomatic relations between Pretoria and Beijing were established on January 1, 1998.
Throughout the past 27 years, the two countries have deepened their wide-ranging bilateral relations, which have since been elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and underpinned by a new 10-Year Strategic Programmes of Cooperation (2020-2029).
Video Player is loading.
Play Video
Play
Unmute
Current Time
0:00
/
Duration
-:-
Loaded :
0%
Stream Type LIVE
Seek to live, currently behind live
LIVE
Remaining Time
-
0:00
This is a modal window.
Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.
Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque
Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps
Reset
restore all settings to the default values Done
Close Modal Dialog
End of dialog window.
Advertisement
Next
Stay
Close ✕
Ad Loading
Ambassador Wu Peng has expressed delight as this season's inaugural shipment of South African avocados successfully reached Shanghai, China.
Image: Supplied
Commenting on social media platform X, the Chinese ambassador said the arrival of the South African avocados for this season marks a milestone in the Pretoria-Beijing agricultural cooperation.
"Delighted to witness the season's first shipment of South African avocados reaching China! A milestone in our agricultural cooperation," Wu commented on X.
Delighted to witness the season's first shipment of South African avocados reaching China! A milestone in our agricultural cooperation. pic.twitter.com/7Cv9Gi9vCG — 吴鹏 Wu Peng (@AmbWuPeng) May 15, 2025
Last year, IOL reported that President of the People's Republic of China, Xi Jinping, had unleashed one of the Asian giant's diplomatic heavyweights to South Africa as ambassador plenipotentiary, with a mission to escalate the unparalleled trade, economic and political ties, improve people-to-people relations and contribute to Pretoria's extensive job creation drive.
IOL was granted the first opportunity to sit down with the affable ambassador, former director-general of China's Department of African Affairs in the Foreign Ministry, just days after he took the reins at the Embassy of China in South Africa.
The former ambassador of China to Kenya said South African wine, rooibos tea, aloe gel, and other quality products are now very popular on the Chinese market.
'Actually, before I came here, I saw rooibos tea in a five-star hotel in China. It costs you 60 yuan to get a cup, which is roughly R150. Of course, I bought myself a cup. It tastes really nice but R150 is a little expensive. That is why I think China should import more rooibos tea and bring the price down, so that more (people) can enjoy rooibos tea in China,' Wu told IOL during the interview last year.
'The Chinese government is committed to advancing high-level opening-up. We are ready to share our mega-sized market with all countries, including South Africa. It is estimated that by 2035, China will have 800 million people in the middle-income group."
Minister of Agriculture, John Steenhuisen.
Image: Henk Kruger/Independent Newspapers
On Thursday, IOL reported that Minister of Agriculture, John Steenhuisen, has expressed satisfaction with the South African avocado industry's proactive steps towards international market expansion.
Steenhuisen's enthusiasm comes on the heels of the season's inaugural shipment of the avocados to China, marking a significant milestone for the sector.
Among Steenhuisen's core priorities is the enhancement of market access for South African agricultural products.
Understanding that market access is paramount for the profitability and sustainability of the agricultural sector, Steenhuisen on Tuesday insisted that the Department of Agriculture must play a pivotal role in expanding and establishing new markets.
Steenhuisen said this 'early bird shipment' to China was a testament to the hard work, innovation, and strategic foresight within South Africa's avocado industry.
'South Africa is positioned as a major player in the global avocado market thanks to the investment made by businesses like ZZ2 in cutting-edge packhouses and nurseries, Core Fruit's well-established expertise in exports, and Mission Produce's global reach,' he said.
jonisayi.maromo@iol.co.za
IOL News
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The South African
4 hours ago
- The South African
South Africans say YES to DStv sports packages
South Africans are fully supporting Multichoice's contemplation of offering a sports-only package for DStv subscribers. The satellite television company is also toying with the idea of unbundling SuperSport from its pay-TV platform. In recent months, the company has taken a massive knock in revenue loss after losing hundreds of thousands in subscriptions. According to social media users, this follows the company's tone-deaf approach to affordability, diversity, and demands. Earlier this month, Multichoice Group CEO Calvo Mawela stated that the company would investigate whether unbundling SuperSport from DStv and launching a sports-only package would be a feasible option for its business model. He said at the time: 'We've accelerated that project in terms of getting us to finalise which direction we're going to take in this financial year. But yes, we are considering all options as part of a broader product offering going forward'. The investigation will conclude at the end of the current financial year-end in March 2026. Broadcaster Gareth Cliff polled his followers to see if they would support the move to a sports-only tailored DStv package or simply a SuperSport option. An overwhelming 94% of voters responded positively. Here's what a few had to say… @renierferreira: 'PAY PER CHANNEL ONLY! People don't want DStv 'bundles'. I'll pay R99 pm just for SuperSport 1 on ONE device.' @WTFSA13: 'R350 for all sports channels, and I am in' @SwartNatalie: 'Yes, then we can actually afford to watch sport again!' Currently, the SuperSport group of channels is offered on DStv's Premium package – it's most expensive – which currently costs R949. For many sports enthusiasts, 'off season' means pausing their subscriptions or cancelling them altogether. In multiple financial reports, Multichoice has acknowledged that the rising cost of living meant that 'households are struggling to make ends meet and many had no choice but to give up their DStv subscription for the time being.' Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 . Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp , Facebook , X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
The South African
10 hours ago
- The South African
City Power offers free electricity to these Johannesburg residents
City Power has urged low-income Johannesburg residents to sign up for its Free Basic Electricity (FBE) programme, which provides 50 kilowatts of electricity per month at no cost. The initiative forms part of efforts to reduce infrastructure damage and recover lost revenue caused by illegal electricity use. Spokesperson Isaac Mangena revealed that the free electricity programme aims to reconnect over 140 000 households who are not paying for electricity. 'Many of these customers are consuming electricity without paying, resulting in massive revenue losses for the utility and the increasing destruction of our infrastructure,' he said. Additionally, by targeting vulnerable groups and formalising their electricity use, the city hopes to clean up its billing system and improve compliance. City Power has also committed to replacing damaged or tampered meters without penalising qualifying residents. The free electricity programme is open to unemployed residents or those earning R7500 or less monthly. Applicants must also be South African citizens or permanent residents, legally occupy the property, and provide the necessary supporting documentation. 'The criteria also include being a South African citizen or permanent resident and being the legal occupants of the property in question,' Mangena explained. 'Supporting documentation such as a valid ID, proof of residence, COJ rates and taxes account, and income verification, such as a SASSA card or affidavit, will be required at registration.' The free electricity initiative is designed to support senior citizens, women and children, persons with disabilities, the unemployed, and child-headed households. City Power said that the programme reinforces the principle of electricity as a fundamental human right. 'The FBE programme is designed to cushion the most vulnerable and ensure access to electricity as a basic human right, while also helping to clean up the billing and compliance environment,' Mangena stated. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
Daily Maverick
12 hours ago
- Daily Maverick
Tapestries weave aspects of SA life and a bank's history with wool into today's artistic landscape
The Standard Bank Art Lab is showing that when it comes to art, the bank is not a sheep but a shepherd. The merino sheep is possibly the most consequential animal to the South African banking sector. The Spanish breed was first donated by the Dutch in the late 1700s, and its value to the growing South African economy was felt by the 1860s. The Cape Colony used the sheep's high-quality wool to distinguish and expand its economy. The booming industry would facilitate the establishment of one of the leading financial institutions in South Africa – the Standard Bank Group. This is a peculiar fabric of the blue bank's history, but nevertheless a pivotal strand that it continues to weave into its identity. The latest iteration is the establishment of the Standard Bank Art Lab. Situated at Nelson Mandela Square in Sandton City, the Art Lab reimagines how audiences engage with art through encouraging interaction that is up close, in motion and in dialogue with the present. The premise of the inaugural exhibition, Following the Blue Thread: It's Woven Into Who We Are, stitches those days of trade to today's artistic landscape. 'At Standard Bank, we believe that contemporary art is not peripheral to progress,' says Margaret Nienaber, Standard Bank's Group COO. 'Instead, it is central to how we see, shape and share our future. [Art provides] a space where legacy fuels innovation and where creativity is treated not only as a luxury, but also as a vital form of engagement.' Standard Bank has never been sheepish in its affinity for the arts. From its decades-long collaboration with the National Arts Festival to the renowned Standard Bank Young Artist of the Year Awards, South African arts across many disciplines have become stitched to the brand of the bank. The inaugural exhibition includes the work of past award winners in fine arts William Kentridge (1987) and Sam Nhlengethwa (1994), as well as household names such as Penny Siopis, Judish Mason and Mirriam Ndebele. A meticulous process of selection was undertaken by curator Dr Same Mdluli. 'At the core of its curatorial premise the exhibition threads together the tapestries as centring collections as a source for artistic appreciation and inspiration, but more importantly, a rich resource for both academic and curatorial research,' said Mdluli. Stitching together an exhibition Allina Ndebele's tapestry titled Ancestors was the first acquisition for the bank's corporate art collection in 1976. A colourful and vibrant tapestry depicting what can be interpreted as episodic anecdotal visual representations of African spirituality, folklore or history, it's the woven equivalent of a captivating nganekwane (Zulu fantasy story). Office Love (2001), Kentridge's contribution in collaboration with the Stephens Tapestry Studio, has a more modern and industrial outlook. With muted tones and dark silhouette imagery, the hand-woven mohair tapestry is an image of an everyman with a typewriter for a head, who is striding towards a workstation superimposed over what seems to be a map of Johannesburg. 'There is a worldview each of the tapestries present that resonates with a South African context in particular ways,' Mdluli said. 'This can be seen in how the work also presents symbolism employed by the artist in condensing a convoluted cultural myth and telling this through simplistic visual language.' Siopis's Shame (2003) and Nhlengethwa's Late Night Jazz (1994) best exemplify Mdluli's assembly of artworks that speak to varying yet deeply interconnected sociopolitical themes with enduring South African contexts. Late Night Jazz has eccentric visual undertones in its depiction of culture, fashion and perspective, evoking a sense of nostalgia that harks to the black diasporic influence on the youth of South Africa at the height of Sophiatown. It is both a warming and haunting reminder of how black people found joy amid the cruelty of apartheid. Shame, on the other hand, is striking in its use of red to depict a feminine figure gushing what seems like blood. Siopis is interested in what she calls the poetics of vulnerability. Considering the never-ending aggression South African women endure, the piece is chilling. When it comes to art, Standard Bank is not a sheep but a shepherd. The exhibition seamlessly connects different aspects of South African life. Its Art Lab is perfectly designed to be a space that values curiosity over convention, and community over exclusivity – a space where legacy meets possibility. DM
