The China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo (CAETE) in Africa (South Africa) will be held in Johannesburg from November 19 to 21, according to the Department of Commerce of Hunan Province on November 2, 2026.

Themed "China and Africa Together Toward the Future," the event will focus on key areas such as the whole agricultural industrial chain, equipment manufacturing, financial services, green energy, and import and export of specialty commodities. Through platforms going global, policy alignment, and industrial matchmaking, it aims to open up two-way trade channels between Hunan and Africa and reduce cross-border cooperation costs. Preparations have now entered the final sprint stage, with more than 200 exhibiting companies signed up.

The event will be held concurrently with the 5th South Africa International Industrial Expo (SAIIE). With a planned exhibition area of 5,000 square meters, it features four sections—power and energy, mechanical equipment and components, mining cooperation, and African commodities. New energy, new-type power systems, prefabricated buildings, engineering machinery, and mineral resource exploration and development equipment will be showcased.

An "Export to China" South Africa special session will also be held at the same time. At the session, South African enterprises will promote specialty export products such as South African fruits, red wine, agricultural products, minerals, and jewelry. Representatives of Chinese importers, e-commerce platforms, and financial institutions will introduce the characteristics, access requirements, and cooperation models of the Chinese market. A pop-up roadshow area for South African brands will be set up to facilitate sample displays, tasting, and exchanges, building a practical matchmaking platform for Chinese and South African enterprises and continuously expanding the brand influence of "Export to China."

CAETE settled in Hunan in 2019. Hosted biennially, it has been held four sessions, with a cumulative total of 512 signed projects worth a total amount of 64.71 billion USD, becoming a "golden bridge" for targeted matchmaking between Chinese and African enterprises. Since 2024, the expo launched the "CAETE in Africa" serial events in non-expo years to promote in-depth implementation of China-Africa cooperation and broaden matchmaking channels for localities and enterprises. The series has already been held in Kenya, Nigeria, and Morocco.

Changsha Customs data show that in the first three quarters of this year, imports and exports between Hunan and South Africa reached 10.998 billion CNY.

This article is from Hunan Provincial Government. www.enghunan.gov.cn. 

Translator: Pang Yuehui 

Chinese source: Voice of Hunan