The pledge was announced during a courtesy visit by Zhang Xiangchen, vice minister of commerce of China, and Lionel October, director-general of the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti), in Pretoria.

China will also provide 50 technical experts in building and upgrading of industrial parks, building of new power plants, 40 000 training opportunities in different sectors and 200 000 industrial managers to train and develop local industrial managers, according to a dti statement.

Xiangchen said there were several new measures that the Chinese government is finalising to further promote industrialisation and development of the African continent as a whole.

Available: http://businesstech.co.za/news/business/101726/china-to-pump-r660-billion-into-tech-and-industrialisation-in-sa/