Chinese community organisations in South Africa fall into four groups: community police cooperation centres (help in Chinese with police matters), hometown associations and chambers of commerce (networks and business information), reunification, women’s, student and Chinese-education groups, and long-established associations of South African-born Chinese. The table lists only organisations we could trace on the Chinese Embassy and consulates’ websites or the organisation’s own site, and we do not publish unverified contact details. To make contact, go through the missions, the organisation’s official channels or personal introductions.
How community groups help newcomers
- Safety: after a robbery, burglary or a document check, a police cooperation centre can help you communicate with the police and understand how to open a case.
- Hometown support: housing, jobs, introductions to accountants and lawyers, weddings and funerals; hometown associations are often the most hands-on.
- Business: chambers share supplier contacts, industry news and policy changes, and arrange meetings with South African authorities.
- Children and culture: Chinese schools, Spring Festival and Mid-Autumn events, dragon boat races.
These are private organisations and cannot issue passports, visas or any documents. For documents, go to the missions; see Chinese Embassy and consulates.
Chinese Community Police Cooperation Centre
The Chinese Community Police Cooperation Centre (南非华人警民合作中心) is based in Johannesburg. The Johannesburg Consulate-General’s contact page lists its numbers as 011 622 8286 / 011 622 9515. The Durban Consulate-General’s October 2026 safety alert also mentions the KwaZulu-Natal Chinese police cooperation centre and centres in Newcastle and Mandeni, and a 2022 Embassy report mentions one in Mahikeng.
In an emergency, call the police on 10111 (112 from a mobile) first, then the centre and your mission. See emergency numbers.
Directory (each with an official source)
| Name | Type | Area | Official source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese Community Police Cooperation Centre (南非华人警民合作中心) | Safety | Johannesburg | Johannesburg Consulate-General |
| KZN, Newcastle and Mandeni Chinese police cooperation centres | Safety | KwaZulu-Natal | Durban Consulate-General (Oct 2026) |
| All-Africa Association for the Peaceful Reunification of China (全非洲中国和平统一促进会) | Reunification association | South Africa | Embassy (May 2026) |
| Cape Town Association for the Peaceful Reunification of China (开普敦中国和平统一促进会) | Reunification association | Cape Town | Cape Town Consulate-General (Sep 2026) |
| Southern Africa Fujian Association (南部非洲中华福建同乡总会) | Hometown | Johannesburg | Johannesburg Consulate-General (Dec 2025) |
| South Africa Shunde Association (南非顺德联谊会) | Hometown | Johannesburg | As above |
| South Africa Hong Kong Bauhinia Association (南非香港紫荆会) | Friendship | Johannesburg | As above |
| Pretoria Fujian Association (比陀福建同乡会) | Hometown | Pretoria | Embassy (2022) |
| Southern Africa Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Chamber (南部非洲粤港澳总商会) | Chamber | South Africa | Embassy (2022) |
| South Africa China Economic and Trade Association (南非中国经贸协会) | Chamber | South Africa | Embassy (2022) |
| All-Africa Chinese Women’s Federation (全非洲华人妇女联合总会) | Women’s group | South Africa | Embassy (2022) |
| Chinese Students and Scholars Association in South Africa (南非中国学生学者联合会) | Students | South Africa | Embassy (2022) |
| Southern Africa Chinese Education Promotion Association (南非洲华文教育促进会) | Chinese education | Durban | Durban Consulate-General (Sep 2026, 10th anniversary) |
| Western Cape Chinese Association hall (西开普省中华会馆) | Long-established association | Cape Town | Cape Town Consulate-General (Sep 2026) |
| Cape Town Huaxing Art Troupe (开普敦华星艺术团) | Performing arts | Cape Town | As above |
| Cape Town Dragon Boat Association (开普敦龙舟协会) | Sport and culture | Cape Town | Cape Town Consulate-General (Jun 2026) |
| The Chinese Association (Gauteng), formerly Transvaal Chinese Association | South African Chinese | Johannesburg | tcagp.co.za |
| Chinese Association of South Africa (CASA) | National, South African Chinese | South Africa | 2008 Pretoria High Court case |
There are many more groups than this; local hometown associations and trade chambers often change names or merge. The table covers only what we could trace to official sources. English names are our translations unless the group uses an English name itself.
Old and new communities
There are two main Chinese communities in South Africa. The first is South African-born Chinese: Chinese traders arrived soon after Johannesburg was founded in 1886, and the first Chinatown grew around Commissioner Street. The Chinese Association (Gauteng) began in 1903 as the Transvaal Chinese Association, which campaigned against the discriminatory Asiatic registration law alongside Gandhi’s Indian community. The second is mainland Chinese who arrived from the 1990s onwards, now far more numerous and centred on Cyrildene in Johannesburg; see Johannesburg’s Chinatown and China malls.
In 2008, after a case brought by the Chinese Association of South Africa, the Pretoria High Court ruled that Chinese who were South African citizens before 1994, and their descendants, count as previously disadvantaged and can benefit from B-BBEE; Chinese who immigrated after 1994 do not. Business owners should read our B-BBEE guide.
Joining or contacting a group
- Find groups through mission events, hometown introductions or a group’s official WeChat account, not through chat groups started by strangers.
- Membership is voluntary. Be wary of anyone charging “document fees”, “protection fees” or investment money in the name of a community group or “embassy connections”.
- Phone scams impersonating the Chinese missions happen; the missions will never phone you to ask for a transfer.
- More in our safety guide and the community section.
FAQ
Is the police cooperation centre a government body?
No. It is a community organisation that works with the South African police and the Chinese missions to help in Chinese, but it cannot replace reporting to the police.
I have just arrived. Which group should I contact first?
Save the police cooperation centre’s and your mission’s numbers first, then look for a hometown association for your province of origin and a chamber for your trade.
Can new immigrants benefit from B-BBEE?
Under the 2008 ruling, only Chinese who were South African citizens before 1994, and their descendants, qualify. Post-1994 immigrants do not.
Where can I find a group’s contact details?
The missions’ websites report on community events; contact groups through the missions or the groups’ official channels. We do not publish unverified phone numbers.
Sources
- Chinese Consulate-General in Johannesburg: contact page
- Johannesburg Consulate-General: community fundraising for Hong Kong fire (24 Dec 2025)
- Durban Consulate-General: safety alert (9 Oct 2026)
- Cape Town Consulate-General: visit to Cape Town community groups (4 Sep 2026)
- Chinese Embassy: community symposium (20 Aug 2022)
- The Chinese Association (Gauteng)
- Wikipedia: Chinese South Africans