South Africa’s Gauteng province will introduce Swahili and Mandarin as subjects in public schools, a move aimed at fostering social cohesion and strengthening Africa’s economic integration, Premier Panyaza Lesufi announced.
Speaking at the University of South Africa’s 25th International Mother Language Day event in Pretoria, Lesufi said equipping students with Mandarin proficiency would enhance their ability to compete in global markets.
“If we have to contest in that space, our children in the classroom must be given an option to learn the language and also take advantage of the positioning in Africa,” he said.
He announced that the inclusion of Swahili and Mandarin in the curriculum of provincial schools was one of the issues he would include in his state of the province address next month.
The decision to include Mandarin highlights South Africa’s strategic positioning as China continues to expand its influence in Africa.
Meanwhile, the addition of Swahili aligns with broader efforts to promote African unity through language.
As an official language of the East African Community and widely spoken across the continent, Swahili has been identified as a tool for strengthening African identity and trade relations.
JN/APA