China-Backed Program Trains 60+ South African Women Entrepreneurs

A China-supported two-week training program for more than 60 South African women entrepreneurs has opened in Johannesburg, focusing on business skills, entrepreneurship development and new cooperation opportunities. The program is designed to connect women business owners with Chinese and South African business communities, aims to enhance women's economic engagement and build professional and business networks.

The training program began on September 29 and was attended by approximately 100 participants from the business, education and media sectors in China and South Africa, as well as entrepreneurs. The Johannesburg workshop is part of the Global Female Entrepreneurs Empowerment Program (GFEEP), a capacity building program organized by Beijing Foreign Studies University.

Former African Union Commission Chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma addressed the opening ceremony and highlighted the importance of women's contribution to Africa's development. Countries cannot reach their potential without tapping into the talent and capabilities of women. She also encouraged the participating entrepreneurs to learn from China's development experience and apply those insights to strengthening their businesses.

“We have to build the Africa we want,” Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said.

Key Highlights

• China-backed program trains over 60 South African women entrepreneurs
• Two-week program focuses on business skills and cooperation
• South African women explore new cross-border business opportunities

The program gives participating women entrepreneurs an opportunity to strengthen their knowledge of business management, commercial cooperation and entrepreneurship, while also developing connections with wider business networks. The initiative brings entrepreneurs into interaction with Chinese and South African business representatives, creating opportunities to explore potential partnerships.

Xu Jianhao, General Manager of China Construction Bank's Johannesburg branch, supported the workshop, said China-Africa economic and trade cooperation offers significant opportunities for entrepreneurs. He also highlighted the growing importance of women's economic participation in this process.

“Women's economic power is playing an increasingly vital role in this process,” Xu said.

Wei Dongze, Secretary-General of the South Africa-China Economic and Trade Association, highlighted the importance of stronger links between Chinese companies and South African businesses. He noted that the closer business ties would help to enhance mutual understanding and provide more opportunities for cooperation.

The association is open to South African businesses, including women-led businesses, to interact with its members and discuss partnerships that are built on trust, mutual benefit and shared growth, Wei said.

The opening ceremony also featured three South African women entrepreneurs who had previously participated in GFEEP training programs in China. Sharing their experiences, they said the training had strengthened their understanding of business management and commercial cooperation, while helping them expand their professional networks and explore potential partnerships.

The Johannesburg workshop is part of GFEEP's Africa-wide training program for women entrepreneurs. The initiative has been included in the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Beijing Action Plan (2025-2027) and has been identified as one of the programs of the 2026 China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges.

The current project focuses on women entrepreneurship, economic empowerment, leadership development, business growth and international cooperation. The structured training and networking are providing opportunities for the participating entrepreneurs to build their businesses and to expand their networks to other businesses in the region and internationally.

The Johannesburg program thus combines skills development and cross-border networking for South African women entrepreneurs, and provides a forum for knowledge sharing and possible commercial collaboration between women entrepreneurs and the broader China-Africa business community.