- The Chinese-built wind power project is creating life-changing opportunities for young people in the Northern Cape.
- The wind power project is also enhancing skills development and improving the living standards of thousands of residents.
A news report from Xinhuanet
Across the vast, arid plains of South Africa’s Northern Cape Province, 31-year-old Xolani Taute stood beneath a towering wind turbine in the town of De Aar. The blades turned steadily above him, cutting through the bright afternoon sky. As he looked up, he reflected on how dramatically his life had changed.
Once, he struggled to find work as an electrician and had limited opportunities for further study. Those challenges left him with limited prospects. Now, however, he serves as a trainee wind turbine technician, showing how renewable energy projects can reshape local communities.
Taute stated that Longyuan South Africa Renewables Ltd. (Longyuan SA) played a pivotal role in shaping his future. The company, a subsidiary of China Energy Investment Group’s Longyuan Power Group, began recruiting for the De Aar Wind Power Project four years ago. At that time, he applied with modest expectations.
Yet he soon discovered that Longyuan SA would not only employ him but also invest in his training. The company funded his technical studies in Cape Town and later provided hands-on training at the wind farm. Consequently, he joined Longyuan SA in 2023 as a technician trainee.
For him, the most meaningful outcome is not simply earning a salary. Instead, he values the opportunity to master advanced technology and acquire skills that are becoming increasingly important in the global renewable energy sector. Moreover, he believes that such training provides young people with long-term opportunities for growth.
Completed in 2017, the De Aar Wind Power Project stands as a flagship example of China–South Africa cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative. The project involves an investment of approximately 2.5 billion RMB and has an installed capacity of 244.5 megawatts. It is the first wind project in Africa developed and operated entirely by a Chinese power company. With 163 turbines, it generates approximately 770 million kilowatt-hours of clean electricity annually. This output powers nearly 300,000 homes and helps ease South Africa’s ongoing energy shortages.
Beyond electricity generation, Longyuan SA prioritises community upliftment and skills development. The company has already trained more than 110 young technicians, and over 80 per cent of its workforce now consists of local employees. Many of them hold essential operational or managerial positions.
In addition, the company supports a wide range of social programmes. Its annual scholarship scheme has funded the studies of 390 students. One beneficiary, maintenance technician Daswin Basson, credits the initiative with giving him the chance to build a secure future. Longyuan SA has also upgraded sports facilities, funded a mobile medical clinic that provides free care to thousands of residents, and repaired local water infrastructure to ensure safe drinking water for more than 2,000 people.
Residents of De Aar say these contributions have transformed the town. They express profound gratitude for the opportunities created by the Chinese-built wind power project. Many also believe that the project will continue to reduce poverty and support long-term regional development.