South African officials: Chinese companies support the transformation and upgrading of South Africa's manufacturing industry.

Member of the Executive Council of the Gauteng Province government, Lebogang Maile, said on the 2nd that Chinese companies' investments are playing a key role in driving South Africa's industrialization process and the transformation and upgrading of the manufacturing industry. On the same day, Haier, a subsidiary of Chinese home appliance company Haier Group, held a product launch event in Johannesburg, the largest city in South Africa, announcing its official entry into the South African market. Maile stated in an interview with Xinhua News Agency during the event that Haier's presence in South Africa is one of the most important industrial investment projects in the province in recent years, injecting new vitality into manufacturing and industrial upgrading. Maile pointed out that the Gauteng Province is the economic and industrial center of South Africa, accounting for about 55% of the country's gross domestic product. Since 2014, the province has attracted a large amount of direct investment from China in various sectors including telecommunications, energy, manufacturing, logistics, and advanced industrial equipment, creating thousands of job opportunities.