As Chinese New Year celebrations spread globally, the China Media Group (CMG) Spring Festival Gala promotional video has landed in South African cinemas for the third consecutive year, fostering a cross-cultural connection on the African continent.

The gala's promotional video first debuted in Cape Town cinemas in 2024 and expanded to cinemas in Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban in 2025. In 2026, the promotional video and its cultural products were featured in a cinema at the Hyde Park Corner shopping center near the consular district in Johannesburg, bringing the dynamic energy of the Year of the Horse to Africa.

Guadalupe Saborna, a cinema manager in South Africa, shared his excitement.

"So actually when I first saw it, I was surprised and like a bit excited. Chinese culture, especially with the technology and the mixed with culture and everything just shows, like shows you everything. And that makes it better because, you know, it makes it seem more like an international event, more like than just a local event," he said.

Li Xiaoyong, who distributes Chinese films in South Africa, said that bringing the promotional video to mainstream commercial cinemas not only provides a sense of warmth and familiarity for overseas Chinese in South Africa but also builds a cultural bridge connecting China and Africa, making the Spring Festival a shared language that transcends borders.

"At that moment, festive scenes of the Chinese Spring Festival appeared on the screens of mainstream commercial cinemas in South Africa, and many local audience members and overseas Chinese stopped to watch. This kind of dissemination, entering mainstream local channels, is a substantial leap in influence. When we played the Spring Festival Gala promotional video in South African cinemas, we found that it sparked not only viewing interest but also a resonance with the universal human emotion of 'family reunion'," said Li.

With more than 300,000 overseas Chinese in South Africa, the cinema presentations give the community a warm sense of home during this important holiday season.

With this year marking the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges, the cinema screenings offer a tangible story of China and Africa growing closer through the cultural symbol of the Spring Festival Gala.

"I think it's a really good moment especially for like multicultural experiences. So then we can also learn about, you know, different countries and different cultures," said Danielle Kaur, a South African resident.

"By the videography, it shows that China has a lot of culture, a lot of color, a lot of interesting factors that as South Africans we also need to learn about. I would like to say, happy New year to China. (switch to Chinese) Ma Nian Kuai Le [Happy Year of the Horse]," said Bheeson Orie, another South African resident.