Young voices take centre stage as Gen Z book on China–South Africa relations lands in Cape Town.
Exclusive Books at the V&A Waterfront became a meeting place of nations on Wednesday evening, as young South African authors Michael Andisile Mayalo and Thabiso Mthembu launched Xi Jinping and China–South Africa Relations: The Gen Z Youth Perspective in Cape Town.
Hosted by China-Africa Dialogue NPC under the theme “Bridging Nations, Empowering Youth: Reflections on South Africa–China Relations”, the evening brought together South African and Chinese guests, among them diplomats, business leaders, publishers, community leaders and a strong contingent of young people. Family and friends of both authors were also present to share in the occasion.
Among the guests were Mrs Tricia Survé, founder of the Tricia Survé Foundation, and Atlegang Lekabe.
The celebration was tempered by loss. Co-author Thabiso Mthembu was unable to attend following the recent passing of his sister, who played an important role in making the book possible. Guests conveyed their condolences to Mr Mthembu and his family, and the room observed a moment of silence in her memory.
A book written by the generation it describes
Published by Lesedi House Inc., the book examines one of the most important international relationships of the 21st century through the eyes of Generation Z. Across 16 chapters, the authors trace the history of modern China–South Africa friendship, the Forum on China–Africa Cooperation, and China’s Global Development, Security, Civilization and Governance Initiatives. They then ask what each means for young South Africans in education, technology, culture, green energy and enterprise.
In his foreword, Professor David Monyae of the University of Johannesburg describes Gen Z as “both beneficiary and architect of a changing global order”. The authors frame the relationship as one of “partnership rather than hierarchy, dialogue rather than confrontation, and development rather than dependency”.
The Cape Town event follows the book’s first launch in Pretoria on 16 June, the 50th anniversary of the 1976 Soweto uprising. It comes during the 2026 China–Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges, which places youth at the centre of relations between the two regions.
Speakers celebrate a growing partnership
Acting Consul-General of the People’s Republic of China in Cape Town, Wang Xiao, highlighted the depth of economic ties between the two countries. “For 16 consecutive years, China has remained South Africa’s largest trading partner and largest export market,” she said.
Tshepo Nketle, founder and publisher of Lesedi House Inc., spoke of the publishing house’s origins. Unable to find a publisher for his own first book, he chose to publish it independently, a decision that led him to establish Lesedi House Inc.
Nketle said the company’s mission is to give a platform to writers from township communities and to Black authors whose stories have historically been underrepresented in South African publishing. A work by two young South Africans on international relations, he noted, reflects precisely the voices Lesedi House was created to amplify.
Publishing the book has also taken Nketle further than he imagined. Through the project, he had the opportunity to travel to China and experience first-hand the country, people and development story the authors write about.
“It is a book that I encourage many people, all the youth, to make sure they read,” he said.
Delivering the keynote address, businessman, philanthropist and former BRICS Business Council chairperson Dr Iqbal Survé said he had visited China 24 times. He told guests he had come because the book had motivated him. He pledged to work with the authors and the relevant council to take the initiative further, adding: “It is not just about talking.”
Dr Survé also struck a note of unity. “Whether East or West, North or South, everyone has a role to play,” he said.
He linked the evening’s theme to his own book, A Shared Future for Humanity, which he launched earlier this year. Its central message, he explained, is that nations and peoples share a common destiny, and that progress is achieved through cooperation, mutual respect and a commitment to the wellbeing of humanity as a whole. In the work of Mayalo and Mthembu, he said, he saw a new generation carrying that vision forward.
Dr Survé reminded guests that Africa is the world’s youngest continent, and that its young people are not only its future but the generation that will shape it. That, he said, is exactly why this book matters: it is written by young South Africans, for young people, and gives the generation that will inherit the China–South Africa relationship a voice in defining it today.
Dr Survé emphasised that employment remains South Africa’s most pressing need. He described his personal commitment as ensuring that his businesses help to reduce unemployment rather than add to it.
Drawing on his experience of China, he said he has applied lessons from its development model in his own enterprises. He expressed his conviction that South Africa, like China, can overcome poverty, provided the concerns of its citizens are addressed seriously and with the urgency they demand.
In a tangible demonstration of that commitment, Dr Survé purchased 100 copies of the book for distribution to young people across South Africa. The initiative will continue beyond the launch, extending the book’s reach into schools, universities and communities and encouraging sustained youth engagement in China–South Africa relations.
Mayalo honours the collaborators behind the book
Speaking on behalf of the authors, Mayalo thanked each of the speakers and guests for their collaboration and support, saying the launch was proof that partnerships between government, business, civil society and youth can turn ideas into action.
Mayalo paid particular tribute to Dr Survé, acknowledging his record of creating and sustaining employment for South Africans over many years. He thanked him for his consistent investment in youth empowerment, and for the counsel he has offered young people: to pursue their ambitions, to remain true to themselves, never to settle, and always to lead with integrity.
In one of the most heartfelt moments of the evening, Mayalo shared that Dr Survé has personally given him his time and guidance since he was in Grade 11. He described Dr Survé’s generosity and kindness as rare, and said that he has witnessed first-hand the true impact of his work.
Mayalo acknowledged that Dr Survé has faced persistent battles over the years, but said his contribution has not gone unnoticed. His determination to uplift and sustain others, Mayalo said, is deeply appreciated by the many young people whose lives he has touched. The room responded with warm and sustained applause.
Turning to the book itself, Mayalo explained that it brings together research from young people in both China and South Africa with his own experiences of living and studying in China. The aim, he said, is to show how Gen Z on both sides sees the relationship, and what it can offer them.
Reflecting on what drew him to the subject, Mayalo pointed to China’s success in lifting hundreds of millions of people out of poverty. Young South Africans, he argued, can learn from that experience while charting their own path.
Mayalo, a youth activist and alumnus of Peking University, is also the author of China Through My Eyes: A Journey of a Young South African to China. Mthembu is a political writer with a degree in International Relations, writing on diplomacy, regional cooperation and development in Africa.
The evening closed with the official unveiling of the book, followed by photographs and a book signing.
From the bookshop to the classroom
For Mayalo and Mthembu, the launch is not the end of the journey but the beginning of the next chapter. With the 100 copies donated by Dr Survé in hand, the authors are taking the conversation to classrooms, university campuses and communities across South Africa. Their goal is simple: to ensure that young people far beyond the formal world of diplomacy have a voice in shaping their country’s place in a changing world.
