南非的孩子学习普通话

They start at the very beginning, counting to 10. As they get bigger, they graduate to Chinese etiquette and simple conversation.

By the time they get to high school, these South African kids can read and write simple sentences in Mandarin.

Do you find Mandarin difficult?

Well, at first, yes, but then, over the years, I've been here for three years, then it becomes easier as you go along.

“So how would you say, Mum, what's for supper tonight in mandarin?”

额……妈妈……Oh no, yeah.妈妈，什么

Well, for something, they still need a little help from their teacher.

Oh, yeah, 饭, yeah.

The Chinese school in Pretoria was established in 1934 to cater for what was then a small Chinese community living in South Africa. Today, it has morphed into a picture-perfect postcard of Nelson Mandela's Rainbow Nation.

What they should be able to achieve is to read and write a simple letter.

School director Seew Hau says China's economic growth and its huge investments in Africa have had a direct impact on the school.

We know of companies, big companies offering bursaries to children if they had a Mandarin background.

And it's not just the children who have become mandarin enthusiasts.

I can say I love you which is 我爱你. That's mandarin. And obviously I can also greet, 早安.

Philisiwe Ngoetjana is confident to her decision to bring her son and daughter to the school will one day pay off.

They could go to the Far East, they can study there. And China is investing all over the world and in Africa particularly, so they can have great careers with that skill.

好，个子

Body, body

对，高了

While many of the kids complain that writing and pronouncing Chinese words is rather difficult, they enjoy learning about the culture.

For Chinese New Year, for example, a lot of things symbolize different things. Noodles symbolize something: the longer the noodle the longer your life.

Last year, China-Africa trade exceeded $100 billion, mainly to feed China's appetite for African commodities.

And while learning Mandarin is still something of an exotic rarity in South Africa, it could be the smartest investment these kids make.

Nkepile Mabuse, cnn, Pretoria, South Africa.