Mountains and seas may stretch for thousands of miles, yet youth pursue dreams together. Recently, South African young entrepreneurs from the Belt and Road E-Business Valley successfully completed their cross-border e-commerce training at Zhejiang Industry & Trade Vocational College (ZJITC) and graduated. Over the past six months, they immersed themselves in Wenzhou through study and practice, experiencing the city’s character, appreciating its cultural charm, drawing inspiration from its innovative vitality, and honing their professional skills, before setting out on a new journey with fruitful achievements.

Discovering China | First Impressions of Wenzhou, a City of Mountains, the Sea and Enterprise

Upon arriving in Wenzhou, the South African students broke away from their preconceptions and fully embraced the charm of this city where mountains meet the Sea and a pragmatic spirit thrives. Its landscape of mountains and coastline, livable and convenient environment, and strong entrepreneurial atmosphere enabled them to truly understand the character of Wenzhou people who are daring, enterprising, and deeply committed to industrial development.

At World Wenzhounese Museum

At Wuyue Plaza

At Wenzhou City Planning Exhibition Center

At Wuma Street Historic District

At Dongtou Banping Community

At Jiushan Park

Experiencing Chinese Culture | Exploring Wenzhou’s Heritage through Culture

Cultural affinity fosters empathy across mountains and seas. The South African students immersed themselves in traditional Chinese culture and the rich Ou-yue heritage, experiencing the unique charm of Wenzhou’s local traditions through featured activities related to “Ou” culture and local folk customs.

Experiencing Wenzhou Ou embroidery, a UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage

Experiencing Wenzhou wooden moveable-typing printing, a UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage

Discovering Innovative China | Rooted in Wenzhou, Exploring the Vitality of Digital Trade

The students closely observed new forms of cross-border e-commerce and new models of digital trade, gaining a deep appreciation of the strong momentum of China’s industrial upgrading and the digital transformation of trade. New digital thinking and innovative concepts broke their established perceptions and opened up fresh perspectives for their future development.

At Xingdao E-commerce Livestreaming Industrial Park

                           
Participating in livestreaming practice

Skills for the Future | Deepening Learning and Building Practical Capabilities

This training focused on practical application, with the college providing a professional platform for skills enhancement. The students systematically studied cross-border e-commerce  knowledge while stepping beyond the classroom and into the front lines of industry, visiting leading local enterprises in Wenzhou and engaging in industry exchanges. Through the combination of theoretical study and field visits, they gained a solid understanding of Wenzhou’s private economy, brand growth paths, market operations, and supply chain systems, built strong practical skills, and successfully transitioned from industry newcomers to competent practitioners.

At Julihuang Museum Exhibition Hall

At Julihuang Production Workshop

At Jinyun Industrial Innovation Service Complex Exhibition Hall

At Hehe Zipper Company

                           
At Xing Ji Electrical Group

Participating in China-Africa Enterprise Matchmaking Meeting

Participating in the Quality Products Going-Global Matchmaking Event

At Semir Group

Participating in the 2026 Wenzhou International Forum on Opthalmic Technology Industry

At Yalong Intelligent Equipment Group Co., Ltd.

At China Mobile Communications Corporation

At Dilicn Company

Visiting Daxiangcheng International Trade Center

Chasing Dreams in South Africa | Returning with Skills and Embarking on New Paths

Graduation marks not an end, but a new beginning. Months of study in Wenzhou have brought growth and, more importantly, opened a new starting point for pursuing dreams. Equipped with professional skills, innovative thinking and industrial experience they gained in Wenzhou, these young South Africans are now bidding farewell to ZJITC and returning to their homeland.

Going forward, they will adapt what they have learned to the South African market, drawing on Wenzhou’s practices in developing the private economy and China’s mature e-commerce ecosystem. They will deepen their engagement in local cross-border industries, inject vitality to the market, and contribute to brand upgrading and digital trade development in South Africa.

Banping Mountain in Wenzhou overlooks the expanse of the East China Sea, while the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa faces the surging Atlantic Ocean. One is a warm land of learning in southern Zhejiang; the other, a vast fertile land of dreams in Africa. Though separated by mountains and seas, friendship endures. May these young people move forward with the skills they have acquired and live up to what they have learned, so that the flower of China-South Africa cooperation may continue to bloom between these two capes.