On July 23, 2026, Mr. Pan Qingjiang, Chinese Consul General in Johannesburg, attended the event hosted by the FirstRand Group at its headquarters marking the Official Opening of Rand Merchant Advisory in Beijing. Ms. Mary Vilakazi, CEO of FirstRand Group, Ms. Emrie Brown, CEO of Rand Merchant Bank, Mr. Muneer Ismail, CEO of Corporate Bank at FirstRand, Ms. Lytania Johnson, CEO of First National Bank and about 300 representatives of Chinese and South African enterprises were present.

Mr. Pan extended his congratulations on the event, hailing that the launch of Beijing office is a vivid testimony of China-South Africa practical cooperation. He expounded the promising prospects of China’s economic development, reaffirming China’s commitment to expanding high-level opening-up. He said, embracing China is embracing opportunities, believing in China is believing in a better tomorrow, and investing in China is investing in the future. Under the guidance of the two heads of state, the all-round strategic cooperative partnership in the new era between China and South Africa continues to move ahead. The economic and trade cooperation, including in the financial sector, has been flourishing. It is hoped that enterprises from both sides would take full advantage of the vast opportunities and increase mutual engagement and synergies with more outcomes, so as to inject new impetus into the joint modernization drive of both countries and their relations.