A new era of digital cooperation between China and Africa was marked this week with the African debut of Ubuntu AI, an intelligent application designed to strengthen regional and country studies across the continent.
The platform was unveiled at the Global South Media and Think Tank Forum China-Africa Partnership Conference, which opened on November 13 in Johannesburg.
The high-level gathering brought together more than 200 representatives from over 160 media organisations, think tanks, government departments and institutions from China, 41 African countries, and the African Union.
Delegates exchanged views on the conference theme, “Reform of the Global Governance System: New Roles and Missions of China-Africa Cooperation.”
Developed jointly by the Institute of African Studies at Zhejiang Normal University and the Zhejiang International Communication Center (ZICC), Ubuntu AI received strong praise from participants during its first public demonstration in Africa.
Strengthening China-Africa Collaboration
Forum discussions centred on three overarching themes: China-Africa responsibility in global governance reform, revitalisation of the Global South, and civilizational coexistence.
Leslie Richer, Director of Information and Communication at the African Union, said the shifting international order requires deeper collaboration between African and Chinese media and research institutions.
“It is essential to strengthen cooperation to jointly shape a more balanced global discourse system,” Richer emphasised, calling for unity to build an inclusive and sustainable world.
Liu Hongwu, director of the Institute of African Studies at Zhejiang Normal University and an appointed expert at ZICC, echoed this sentiment.
He urged continued investment in China-Africa cooperation platforms, broader communication channels, and greater efforts to “tell each other’s stories in mutually understandable language” to empower the Global South.
A Digital Bridge for Knowledge and Policy
Ubuntu AI integrates multilingual news updates, think tank research, cultural knowledge bases, and policy analysis tools into one intelligent platform.
Delegates who tested the application described it as a digital bridge for knowledge-sharing, cultural exchange and decision-making support between China and Africa.
Former senior South African diplomat Gert Grobler, a core drafter of the China-Africa Dar es Salaam Consensus, said the tool has the potential to “serve as a catalyst for advancing China-Africa relations.”
The application’s name draws from the African philosophy of Ubuntu—“I am because we are”—symbolising unity and shared prosperity. The concept strongly aligns with China’s vision of building a community with a shared future in cyberspace.
Peter Kagwanja, director of the Africa Policy Institute in Kenya, applauded the choice, saying the name “allows us to feel the unity of the African people.”
Longstanding Media Partnerships
ZICC has maintained close ties with African media for over two decades, beginning with cooperation between the overseas edition of Zhejiang Daily and outlets such as African Times.
Since then, ZICC has established partnerships with numerous African institutions—including the Kenya Editors’ Guild—and set up liaison offices in South Africa and Egypt.
Ubuntu AI itself is a product of this sustained collaboration. Co-developed through the International Communication Laboratory under the Zhejiang Daily Media Group, the platform launched its upgraded version at the 2025 China-Africa Internet Development and Cooperation Forum in Xiamen.
During the Johannesburg conference, the platform expanded its database further by integrating the African Times media archive.
Toward a Fairer Global Governance System
The conference concluded with the release of a think tank report, Building “New Global Leadership” — A Joint Action for a More Just and Reasonable Global Governance System, along with the launch of the Global South Media Think Tank Cooperation and Communication Partnership Network and the 2026 China-Africa Partnership Empowerment Action Plan.
Going forward, ZICC and the Institute of African Studies at Zhejiang Normal University plan to use Ubuntu AI to strengthen China-Africa knowledge systems, enhance mutual trust, and broaden discourse power within the Global South.
As China’s first intelligent application dedicated to African studies developed through a media-think tank partnership, Ubuntu AI is poised to become one of the most comprehensive and authoritative platforms on African affairs—supporting cooperation, cultural dialogue and reform toward a more equitable global governance landscape.
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