China and South Africa have signed an intergovernmental framework agreement on nuclear cooperation.
The deal was signed in Pretoria on 7 November by South African energy minister Tina Joemat Pettersson and Wu Xinxiong, administrator of China National Energy Agency.
The agreement initiates the preparatory phase for a possible utilisation of Chinese nuclear technology in South Africa, the country's energy ministry said.
With plans to build 9.6GW of nuclear capacity, South Africa says the first stage of its nuclear programme will involve signing cooperation agreements with 'various nuclear vendor countries.' These agreements will allow the government to gain more understanding of the nuclear technology offerings of the different countries.
In September, South Africa and Russia signed an intergovernmental agreement for a strategic partnership and cooperation in the nuclear industry. A civil nuclear cooperation agreement with France followed in October.
