A New Cultural Highlight Added to the 2026 China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges
As the final scenes roll out, Hello Chinese S3, a program that has built a “bridge to Chinese” for countless African viewers, is drawing to a close. Jointly produced by the Center for Language Education and Cooperation of the Ministry of Education of China and StarTimes, the program closely aligns with the 2026 China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges.
With vivid footage, it presents a real, multi-dimensional and developing China; with moving stories, it tells of China-Africa friendship. It makes “Hello, Chinese” no longer merely a simple pronunciation, but a key for African viewers to enter and understand China.
Looking back on this season, “Hello Chinese S3” achieved comprehensive upgrades in both content and format. A total of 160 episodes were produced and broadcast throughout the year, with a total running time of more than 1,600 minutes; it aired for 40 consecutive weeks from its premiere. The program built a multi-dimensional content system integrating Chinese language learning, humanistic storytelling and China-Africa exchanges, offering numerous highlights.
Renewed Format and Upgraded Content
The program delivers Chinese-language teaching through immersive real-life scenarios, focusing on practical vocabulary and everyday expressions and accommodating learners at different proficiency levels, truly enabling them to learn and apply what they have learned. The cameras enter Confucius Institutes across Africa, documenting the overall development of local Chinese-language education: from curriculum design and localized teaching practices to a rich variety of cultural activities, as well as signature brand events such as the “Chinese Bridge” Competition and International Chinese Language Day. These scenes vividly showcase the vigorous development and diverse influence of Chinese-language education in Africa.
The program features exclusive interviews with guests from various sectors in China and Africa, listening to their observations and reflections in work and life, promoting mutual learning among civilizations through sincere dialogue, and using documentary-style filming to tell the true stories of 20 Chinese and African individuals who formed a bond with Chinese and fell in love with the language, showcasing the unique appeal of Chinese language learning from diverse perspectives.
All-Media Coverage, Within Easy Reach
Effective reach would not be possible without the distribution strategy behind it. In addition to airing on three major channels—ST Sino Drama, ST Guide E and ST Zone—this season also opened a dedicated section on the StarTimes ON mobile app, allowing on-demand viewing and replay at any time. The program also continuously releases short videos on Facebook and TikTok. With large and small screens working in tandem, it breaks free from the constraints of time and place, building an unrestricted bridge of communication for the promotion of Chinese.
Chinese Language as a Bridge, Everlasting Friendship
As the 2026 China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges kicks off, the influence of Chinese language education in Africa keeps expanding. The first two seasons reached more than 160 million households on TV, covering over 800 million viewers, with total mobile views exceeding 30 million. Through scenario-based teaching, interviews and cultural showcases, “Hello Chinese S3” immerses audiences in China-Africa interactions. It conveys the power of language to connect civilizations and showcases the outcomes of joint efforts in China-Africa people-to-people exchanges.
Going forward, the program will continue to respond to audience needs, enable the language bridge to connect more hearts, and further strengthen China-Africa friendship through continuous dialogue and exchanges.
