The Green Technology Confucious Institute (GTCI) at the University of Venda (UNIVEN) held a landmark roundtable discussion. The discussion took place on 05 November 2025 at 2Ten Hotel in Sibasa. It brought together representatives from UNIVEN, Vhembe District Municipality, Limpopo Department of Agriculture, and Chinese academic and research Specialists from Hubei University of Technology (HBUT) to advance joint initiatives in green technology and sustainable agriculture.
Delegates from UNIVEN GTCI, Vhembe District Municipality, Limpopo Department of Agriculture and Hubei University of Technology pose for a group photo following a landmark dialogue on green technology and sustainable development.
Delegates from Vhembe District Municipality included specialists in water, sanitation, energy, and agricultural engineering. The dialogue served as a dynamic platform for cross-cultural exchange and strategic collaboration.
Central to the discussions was the localisation of agricultural machinery to meet the needs of small-scale and semi-commercial farmers in South Africa. Experts from HBUT shared China’s successful model of government-backed innovation, where targeted research funding enables the design, testing, and large-scale production of equipment tailored to farmers’ realities.
“We do not just develop machinery, we ensure it serves real people in real fields. If a prototype does not benefit farmers, it does not go into production.” explained Prof Hu Xinyu from HBUT’s Agricultural Machinery Engineering Research Institute.
The Municipality representatives highlighted ongoing challenges including limited access to land, inadequate mechanisation, water distribution inefficiencies, and restricted market access for crops such as macadamia nuts and soybeans.
“Young graduates with agricultural degrees often sit idle, not out of unwillingness, but because they lack access to land, tools, and market linkages,” noted Mr Matome Mokoena from the International Relations Officer from the University of Venda.
Delegates are engaged in a discussion.
To address these challenges, delegates proposed establishing a ‘living lab’ model, a tripartite partnership between universities, local communities, and government, to co-create practical, scalable innovations.
Proposed projects include solar-powered agrivoltaics systems that integrate crop cultivation with energy generation, smart irrigation technologies, and post-harvest processing tools to re-duce food loss and boost productivity.
The meeting also explored the creation of joint research centres, prototype development fa-cilities, and an innovation and commercialisation hub to bridge the gap between academic re-search and rural implementation.
Efforts are underway to formalise these collaborations through existing Memoranda of Under-standing (MoU) and to leverage both South African and Chinese funding mechanisms.
Prof Eric Maluta, Co-Director of the Green Technology Confucius Institute, emphasised the col-laborative spirit of the initiative. “This is not just about technology transfer, it is about co-creation. We are building friendships that power progress,” he said.
The dialogue concluded with a celebratory toast to Sino-South African cooperation, marking the shared commitment to sustainable development, green innovation, and inclusive agricultural growth.
The Green Technology Confucius Institute at the University of Venda continues to play a pivotal role in strengthening ties between China and South Africa. It is promoting not only language and culture but also people-centred, practical technological advancement that supports rural liveli-hoods and environmental resilience.
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