Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. Over the past few decades, Zimbabwe-China relations have seen growing people-to-people exchanges, with the mobility and interaction of young people playing a key role. In education, the number of Zimbabwean students in China has surged remarkably, from just four in 2000 to 5,225 in 2018, according to data from China’s Ministry of Education, highlighting a significant deepening of educational ties.
In terms of technological and professional exchanges, a growing number of Chinese young people, though still not large in number, are working as tech executives or core members in Chinese-invested companies in Zimbabwe. They bring with them professional expertise and innovative ideas that contribute to local industrial development. These individuals have the potential to act as bridges for technology transfer; Zimbabwe stands to benefit greatly from these knowledge spillovers. Meanwhile, there is a small but steady number of volunteer Chinese language teachers sent to Zimbabwe each year, who play an important role in cross-cultural communication between the two nations.
Personally, my impressions of Chinese youth come from interactions with my close friend William Zhou, whom I met in Hangzhou at Zhejiang University of Science and Technology where I completed my undergraduate studies. William once told me, “There’s something unique about Zimbabwean students. I want to learn more about your culture”, a statement that showed his eagerness to engage with different cultures. When he invited me to his hometown, Jinyun in Zhejiang, I was fascinated by China’s rural development: well-built infrastructure and vibrant rural industries and village enterprises.
This experience sparked my interest in China’s development model, which later became the focus of my master’s thesis. During my stay in Jinyun, I also shared aspects of Zimbabwean culture with local residents, many of whom were curious and asked thoughtful questions about our traditions. Later, in collaboration with Professor Zhao Yuezhi, from Tsinghua University, we organized a ten-day academic tour to China for ten Zimbabwean scholars in 2023, which included six days in Zhejiang, Jinyun. Through these interactions, I witnessed firsthand how Chinese youth are not only curious about other cultures but are also actively eager to build meaningful connections.
At the same time, young Chinese people are demonstrating remarkable entrepreneurial vitality in their home country. They are actively involved in various entrepreneurial practices: some focus on tech startups, driving innovations in digital technology, artificial intelligence, semiconductors R&D and robotics, with examples like DeepSeek; others launch community-based businesses to address local needs with creative solutions. Their courage in embracing challenges, emphasis on technological innovation, and agility in adapting to market changes are qualities worth admiring and emulating.
During my study in China, I also witnessed many Zimbabwean young people participating in high-tech innovation and cross-border entrepreneurial competitions, where they had in-depth communication and collaborative efforts with Chinese peers, sharing ideas on tech application, startup models, and market development. These diverse exchanges, covering technology, education, and entrepreneurship, are not only narrowing the distance between the young people of China and Zimbabwe but also expected to further facilitate technological innovation, knowledge sharing, and practical cooperation between the two countries in the future.
With 60% of Zimbabwe’s population under 30, youth exchanges are vital for sustaining our ties. Going forward, such interactions will help more Zimbabwean youth learn China’s top technologies, drive our industrialization, and realize Vision 2030. As young people from both sides continue to communicate, collaborate, and share their cultures, China-Zimbabwe relations will undoubtedly grow stronger and more resilient. Tungamirai Eric Mupona is a Ph.D. Candidate at Zhejiang University and the vice chairman of the China-Zimbabwe Exchange Centre
For More News And Analysis About Zimbabwe Follow Africa-Press
