Minister Blade Nzimande strengthens cooperation with Huawei

The Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Prof. Blade Nzimande, concluded his official visit to the People’s Republic of China with a strategic engagement with Huawei.

Minister Nzimande’s engagement with Huawei took place against the backdrop of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC), which was held in Shanghai, China, and concluded on Monday 20 July 2026.

The meeting also came after a bilateral engagement between Minister Nzimande and his Chinese counterpart, Minister Yin Hejun, during which they committed to leveraging the opportunities presented by WAIC and diversifying collaboration to include artificial intelligence and quantum science technologies.

In 2025, the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI) and Huawei signed a Letter of Intent to establish a comprehensive partnership for deploying and localising advanced information and communication technologies in South Africa.

The partnership intended to cover key areas such as cloud computing, artificial intelligence, smart campus solutions and next-generation networks and also provides for the development of a talent framework to train professionals in ICT and artificial intelligence.

Informed by this context, Minister Nzimande used the engagement with Huawei to reaffirm South Africa’s commitment to significantly strengthening digital skills and infrastructure, enhancing AI governance, and driving inclusive digital transformation for Africa’s youth over the next 10 to 15 years.

He further indicated that collaboration with globally recognised, innovation-driven private companies such as Huawei aligns with the DSTI’s strategic focus on building the capabilities required for the digital economy through the Foundational Digital Capabilities Research Platform and is critical for advancing digital transformation and equity across Africa.

The Minister’s engagement with Huawei was preceded by a comprehensive tour of Huawei’s Shanghai campus and a presentation on the various aspects of Huawei’s operations.

Minister Nzimande was accompanied by senior officials from the Presidency and National Treasury; the Ministry and Department of Science, Technology and Innovation; the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (DCDT); and the State Information Technology Agency (SITA).

Enquiries: 
Veli Mbele
Media Liaison Officer and Spokesperson to the Minister
Cell: 064 615 0644 
E-mail: Veli.Mbele@dsti.gov.za

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