South Africa and China strengthen ties ahead of G20 Young Entrepreneurs’ Alliance Summit
The Young Entrepreneurs South Africa (YESA) hosted a China-SA Bilateral Breakfast in Illovo, aimed at fortifying trade relations between South Africa and China on Thursday.
Image: Siyabonga Sithole / Independent Media
Ahead of the G20 Young Entrepreneurs’ Alliance Summit (G20 YEA) 2025, this weekend, the Young Entrepreneurs South Africa (YESA) hosted a China-SA Bilateral Breakfast to strengthen trade relations between the two countries.
The summit is expected to bring over 600 delegates from all G20 countries to the Sandton Convention Centre from September 18 to 22, celebrating 15 years of fostering global entrepreneurial collaboration across the G20 states.
The three-day gathering is supported by the South African government as part of the broader G20 programme with the aim of fostering and bringing together a global alliance of over 500,000 entrepreneurs.
Speaking during the breakfast event held in Illovo on Thursday, Innocentia Motau, founder and spokesperson for YESA, said that the alliance has made a huge impact on young entrepreneurs from the G20 member states as it aims to grow future G20 leaders, expand the role of entrepreneurs, and promote fair global trade in key industries across the G20 states.
"As YESA, it is an honour to welcome you to the G20 Young Entrepreneurs, as we also celebrate 15 years of connecting young entrepreneurs under 35 from all over the world, in a bid to foster economic collaborations. I'm super happy about this milestone for resounding success. This year's summit will host 500-plus young entrepreneurs. We have 18 countries and five observer countries. Where we will discuss FinTech, energy, entrepreneurship, textile, technology, and other collaborative projects over two days," she said.
Yolisa Kani, head of policy at Transnet, speaking during a panel discussion on building fast infrastructure with like-minded local and international partners, decried the challenge facing the rail industry following its vandalism during Covid-19, as well as the July 2021 riots.
"I would like to give you a brief background in infrastructure and the importance of policies and the government decisions that are made without foresight. The decisions to delay the maintenance of our rail infrastructure were taken in the 1980s, and we are seeing the results of that backlog in 2025. I think for me, therein lies the opportunity. If we fix our infrastructure, both as Transnet and the private sector, and if we invest in rolling stock. The dream of migrating cargo will soon be realised sooner than later," she said.
Haung Qingfeng, chairperson of Energy China CAT-Technology, reflected on South Africa's potential to be a global player in the Electric Vehicle (EV) market, saying: "The South African EV industry has the potential to help this country become a strong player in the EV market, and with the right policies and support this can be realised in less than seven to eight years."