We are more connected than we think: Youth, creativity, and the digital future of China-South Africa relations

From the Soweto generation of 1976 to the new digital generation – interpersonal diplomacy is now taking on a modern face, voice, and its own story. In international relations, there are moments that occur far from government buildings, official communiqués, and conference tables. They are much more direct: people themselves tell their stories about each other.

This spirit was evident on August 14, 2026, at the Chinese General Consulate in Johannesburg, where Consul General Pan Qingjiang spoke at the award ceremony for the fourth annual China-South Africa short video competition. The project was launched in June during South Africa's Youth Month under the motto “China and South Africa: We are more connected than we think.”

The competition offers a remarkable perspective on how generations growing up with smartphones, social networks, digital production, and instant access to information perceive and interpret international relations. Young participants are no longer just observers; they themselves become storytellers, interpreters, and communicators of relationships between countries.

The year 2026 provides an exceptionally significant backdrop. It commemorates the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and African countries, which began with Egypt in 1956. At the same time, it was declared the Year of People-to-People Exchanges between China and Africa, which places human connections, cultural understanding, education, and young people at the center of a broader China-Africa relationship. This symbolism has particular significance for South Africa.

From Youth Day to a new generation of diplomats

South African Youth Month has deep historical significance. On June 16, 1976, young people in Soweto were at the center of one of the key events in the country's struggle against apartheid. Fifty years later, the courage and determination of that generation remain a vital part of South Africa's national identity.

However, the youth of 2026 live in a completely different communication environment. The smartphone has supplemented traditional media. Social media content has supplemented newspapers. In addition to public gatherings, there are livestreams, podcasts, and short videos. A young person with a phone and an idea can now reach thousands, or even millions, of people.

This transformation brings a new dimension.

The global story is no longer created exclusively by governments, diplomats, journalists, media outlets, and large corporations. It is increasingly co-created by citizens themselves. This is the significance of the short video competition.

Mr. Qingjiang said that the submissions from young participants showed "careful observation of social life, deep reflection, and vibrant creativity" and at the same time captured the practical aspects of cooperation between China and South Africa. What is important is not only what young people created but also how they chose to perceive this relationship.

Diplomacy through a digital lens

International relations can sometimes seem distant from everyday life. Strategic partnerships, trade statistics, infrastructure projects, investment agreements, and multilateral declarations often appear to be a world reserved for officials and institutions.

However, relationships between states ultimately gain true meaning when they touch the lives of ordinary people.

A Chinese-brand car manufactured in South Africa, South African fruit sold to Chinese consumers, a student learning Mandarin, a pupil discovering Chinese culture, a South African entrepreneur collaborating with a Chinese company, a technological partnership, an academic exchange, or a tourist traveling between the two countries – all of these can become part of the vibrant fabric of bilateral relations.

Short videos have an extraordinary ability to capture these connections.

They can translate complex ideas into a visual story. They combine music, language, movement, humor, history, and personal experience. They allow young people to communicate in a language that is closest to them – the digital language. The competition itself is therefore an example of how interpersonal relationships between countries are evolving.

The question is no longer just about how one country communicates with another. Increasingly, it's about how individuals themselves communicate with each other.

“We are more connected than we think”

South Africa and China may be even more interconnected than many people realize. Their relationship has developed significantly since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1998. From a strategic partnership, both countries have gradually moved towards a comprehensive strategic partnership based on cooperation, expanding political, economic, educational, cultural, and interpersonal ties.

The Consul General, Pan Qingjiang, also highlighted the extent of economic relations. According to data presented in his speech, China remains South Africa's largest trading partner for the 17th consecutive year, with bilateral trade exceeding 53.5 billion dollars.

He also pointed out Chinese investments in the country. He said that direct investment has exceeded 11.7 billion dollars, and nearly 300 Chinese companies operate in South Africa. Cooperation includes infrastructure, automotive manufacturing, mineral processing, new energy, and the digital economy.

These figures are important, just like the human dimension of relations captured by young filmmakers. A two-minute video can sometimes show how ordinary people perceive a bilateral relationship in a way that a fifty-page political document may not be able to achieve.

That is why the Consul General's observation that the connections between the two countries are "tangible, accessible, and beneficial to every citizen" is so important. The challenge for diplomacy in the digital age is to make these ties visible, understandable, and close to everyday life.

From historical friendship to current partnership

China's relations with Africa have a long history, and South Africa holds a special place within it. During the struggle against apartheid, China supported the efforts of the South African people for national liberation. After South Africa's democratic transformation and the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1998, the relationship entered a new phase.

Since then, bilateral cooperation has developed alongside South Africa's growing involvement in structures of the Global South. The country became a member of BRICS in 2010, creating another important platform for cooperation with China.

Contacts are also developing through the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), the G20 group, and other multilateral institutions.

The relationship therefore exists at several levels – bilateral, African, Global South, and multilateral.

However, beneath these structures lies something much simpler.

People.

Relationships between people are fundamental

A statement by President Xi Jinping, which Consul General Pan Qingjiang recalled in his speech, offers an important philosophical starting point:

“The foundation and lifeblood of China-Africa relations lie in the people.”

Economic agreements can create opportunities. Intergovernmental treaties can establish frameworks. Diplomatic relations can build a structure for cooperation. But it is only relationships between people that give these structures life.

The year of people-to-people exchanges between China and Africa offers an opportunity to look beyond the traditional metrics of bilateral relations.

How many students participate in exchange programs? How many young Africans are studying in China? How many Chinese students are learning about Africa? How many artists, filmmakers, entrepreneurs, journalists, academics, athletes, and tourists are interacting? How many new stories are being created?

These are not marginal questions. They are increasingly important for the long-term sustainability of international relations.

The Rise of an Informationally Connected African Youth

Africa's demographic future further strengthens this importance.

Africa has one of the youngest populations in the world, and its young people are increasingly connected to global information networks. They follow international news and global trends, create content, build internet businesses, and participate in discussions that transcend borders, often without needing a diplomatic passport.

This creates enormous potential for relations between China and South Africa.

At the same time, it brings with it responsibility.

A generation well-versed in the information environment needs more than just access to information. It needs media literacy, critical thinking skills, cultural awareness, and the ability to distinguish between information and disinformation.

Digital diplomacy cannot therefore become simply another channel for disseminating official messages. Its greater potential lies in empowering young people to explore, question, create, and engage.

The winning video may not be significant because it is professionally produced. It is important because a young South African looked at another country and asked:

What does this relationship mean for me?

That is a diplomatic question of surprising depth.

Education as a Bridge to Cross

The Consul General has firmly placed education at the center of this equation. He described it as "the cornerstone of national development," and youth as "the future of nations and the future of China-South Africa friendship."

This approach is directly related to the Driving Education Culture initiative, through which the consulate seeks to engage educational institutions and young people.

Education may be one of the most enduring forms of diplomacy, as its influence continues long after the exchange itself has ended.

A student studying Mandarin may one day become a translator, entrepreneur, diplomat, academic, or journalist. A student who visits China may return with an understanding that cannot be gained from a textbook.

Similarly, a Chinese student who encounters South African history, music, literature, or contemporary culture can develop a relationship with Africa that goes beyond stereotypical perceptions.

The classroom thus becomes another dynamic space alongside film studios, smartphones, and social networks.

The Creative Power of Short Video

There is something very fitting about using short video to celebrate people-to-people relationships in 2026.

Video is no longer just a medium for professional television companies. It has become the language of everyday communication. Young people intuitively understand how to work with images, editing, music, pacing, visual storytelling, and how to engage an audience.

They can transform a school project into a documentary, a conversation into dialogue, a cultural experience into a visual story, and an ordinary observation into a narrative.

This is creative diplomacy that uses technological advancement to reach audiences that traditional communication channels may not be able to reach.

The ability to tell authentic stories in formats that people actually engage with creates an opportunity to collaborate with young creators, rather than simply broadcasting messages at them.

A Relationship for the Next Generation

The Chinese Consul General's call to young South Africans to "visit and study in China" has a significance that goes beyond mere educational exchange.

It is an invitation to experience another society firsthand.

Firsthand experience is one of the most powerful tools against misunderstanding.

A young South African who experiences Chinese cities, universities, technology, culture, and daily life returns home with their own personal story. Similarly, a young Chinese person who personally visits South Africa gains a deeper understanding of the country's history, its diversity, creativity, and aspirations.

Experiences turn into stories, stories into conversations, and conversations can lead to real relationships.

From Soweto 1976 to Digital Africa 2026

There is a strong historical bridge between the youth of 1976 and the young generation of 2026.

The generation of 1976 used the tools available to them to challenge an unjust system and demand recognition, dignity, and equality.

Today's generation has access to completely different tools.

Their task is not to copy the methods of the past, but to responsibly utilize their own extraordinary capabilities.

Cameras can document. Microphones can amplify voices. Smartphones can connect people. The internet can educate. Artificial intelligence can foster creativity.

However, technology only has true meaning when it is driven by human intention.

The young filmmakers involved in the China-South Africa competition demonstrate one possible path – using digital creativity to discover connections between societies, rather than passively consuming content created about them by others.

This is a valuable lesson for diplomacy itself.

A New Chapter in the China-South Africa Story

Relations between China and South Africa have gained significant institutional depth over nearly three decades of formal diplomatic relations.

Today, they are based on a sophisticated partnership encompassing politics, trade, investment, education, culture, technology, and multilateral cooperation.

However, the next stage cannot belong solely to institutions.

It must increasingly belong to people.

And especially to young people who will inherit this relationship.

The 70th anniversary of China's relations with Africa, the Year of People-to-People Exchanges between China and Africa, the 50th anniversary of the events of June 16, 1976, in South Africa, and the increasing sophistication of digitally connected South African youth are now converging at an extraordinary moment.

A moment when history meets technology through a generation of young South African filmmakers who are shaping the direction of future interactions, encounters, collaborations, and exchanges.

And in the age of digital diplomacy, perhaps the most powerful ambassadors of this connection will not always be people with diplomatic credentials.

Kirtan Bhana, TDS

Thediplomaticsociety/gnews.cz