South Africans in Wuhan Wait and Wonder When They’ll be Evacuated

A deserted street in Wuhan, China's central Hubei province on March 8, 2020. NOEL CELIS / AFP

Hundreds of South African nationals stranded in Wuhan, China are growing despondent in response to the lack of any update from officials in Pretoria over their planned evacuation. 

When President Cyril Ramaphosa announced plans for the evacuation, he said it would happen within a week. Now, several weeks later, the evacuees in China say they still don’t know when the airlift will take place, nor have they received any other updates.

  • Get a daily email packed with the latest China-Africa news and analysis.
  • Read exclusive insights on the key trends shaping China-Africa relations.
  • Full access to the News Feed that provides daily updates on Chinese engagement in Africa and throughout the Global South.

China, Africa and the Global South... find out what’s happening.

Subscribe today for unlimited access.

What is The China-Global South Project?

Independent

The China-Global South Project is passionately independent, non-partisan and does not advocate for any country, company or culture.

News

A carefully curated selection of the day’s most important China-Global South stories. Updated 24 hours a day by human editors. No bots, no algorithms.

Analysis

Diverse, often unconventional insights from scholars, analysts, journalists and a variety of stakeholders in the China-Global South discourse.

Networking

A unique professional network of China-Africa scholars, analysts, journalists and other practioners from around the world.