De aar: On a breezy afternoon across the arid plains of South Africa's Northern Cape Province, 31-year-old Xolani Taute stood beneath a towering white wind turbine, its blades slicing through the blue sky above the small town of De Aar.

According to Namibia Press Agency, Taute, once an unemployed electrician, is now a trainee wind turbine technician, reflecting the transformation brought by renewable energy in local communities. Longyuan South Africa Renewables Ltd. (Longyuan SA), a subsidiary of China Energy Investment Group's Longyuan Power Group Corporation Ltd., has played a pivotal role in this change through its De Aar Wind Power Project. Four years ago, Taute, like many others, struggled to find work until Longyuan SA offered him not just a job but a future by sponsoring his training at a technical college in Cape Town and providing hands-on training at the De Aar wind farm.

Completed in 2017, the De Aar Wind Power Project exemplifies China-South Africa cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative. With an investment of about 2.5 billion RMB (approximately 352 million U.S. dollars) and a total installed capacity of 244.5 megawatts, it is the first wind project in Africa developed, built, and operated by a Chinese power company. The project now stands as the largest operational wind farm in South Africa, generating roughly 770 million kilowatt-hours of clean electricity annually, enough to power about 300,000 homes.

Longyuan SA has prioritized nurturing local talent, improving livelihoods, and stimulating regional growth. The project has trained over 110 young technicians, with more than 80% of its workforce now composed of local employees, many in key operational and management positions. Thabiso Moleko, a deployment counselor with the De Aar Department of Employment and Labor, noted the project's impact on skills development among locals, leading to more job creation and economic growth in South Africa.

Longyuan SA also runs a scholarship program to help students from humble backgrounds pursue education. The initiative has benefited 390 students, including 30-year-old Daswin Basson, now a senior maintenance technician at the De Aar Project. Community development efforts by Longyuan SA extend to restoring local sports fields, operating a mobile clinic providing free medical services, and sponsoring local old-age homes.

"De Aar has really benefited so much," said Moleko. "We are hoping for continued collaboration with the company to see a better De Aar and a better South Africa."