The South Africa finals of the 24th "Chinese Bridge" Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign College Students took place on Friday in Cape Town, the country's legislative capital, where participants showcased remarkable language abilities and cultural talents.

CAPE TOWN, May 31 (Xinhua) -- The South Africa finals of the 24th "Chinese Bridge" Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign College Students took place on Friday in Cape Town, the country's legislative capital, where participants showcased remarkable language abilities and cultural talents.

Hosted by the Chinese Embassy in South Africa and organized by the "Chinese Bridge" Club in Cape Town, the event was co-sponsored by Confucius Institutes across the country. This year's competition, themed "One World, One Family," consisted of three segments: a quiz on China-related knowledge, a Chinese language proficiency contest, and a showcase of Chinese cultural talents.

Fifteen university students won rounds of applause and cheers from the audience. Thakane Masia, a second-year student from Rhodes University, emerged as the winner. Masia, whose Chinese name is Ma Kaini, will represent South Africa in the global finals to be held in China.

Masia said the competition was intense and that all contestants performed well. She expressed her pride in winning first place and noted the value of Chinese as one of the official languages of the United Nations.

Masia believed her Chinese language skills will be an asset in her future career. "With my politics degree, I also know Chinese. I can communicate with a lot of different people. It can also help if I have business or political engagement with China in the future," she said.

In a video message, Chinese Ambassador to South Africa Wu Peng highlighted the role of language cooperation as a key part of people-to-people exchanges.

"As an important component of people-to-people exchanges, language cooperation between China and South Africa empowers mutual understanding between our peoples and contributes to the enduring friendship between our two nations," he noted.

Wu expressed hope for the contestants to find inspiration in the beauty of the Chinese language, form lasting friendships, and become active ambassadors for China-South Africa friendship and cooperation.

Tang Chang'an, deputy consul general of the Chinese Consulate-General in Cape Town, attended the event, saying that language is not just about grammar or vocabulary -- it is about understanding, connection, and respect.

"Through your effort and your interest in language and culture, you are helping build a stronger, more connected world," he added, encouraging the contestants to continuously bridge diverse cultures through the power of language, friendship, and shared dreams.

Wu Changhong, chairperson of the "Chinese Bridge" Club in Cape Town, described the competition as a celebration of language and culture. She praised the participants for demonstrating excellent language proficiency and a deep appreciation of Chinese culture.

"The event not only enhanced students' language abilities but also fostered cross-cultural understanding and built bridges between people," she said.