"I have had a home in South Africa for 31 years, and I have seen great changes occur in this country and how Cape Town Opera has evolved into what it is today, and I have always been so extraordinarily moved by the talent intrinsic in Africans," she said, noting that despite the importance of economic relationships between China and Africa, the rich and diverse contemporary art and cultural scenes of Africa remain relatively unknown to the Chinese public.

With a mission to provide cultural bridges between China and the world, in August, the foundation co-created Marvelous Realism, the largest contemporary African photography exhibition to date in Asia, with Fotografiska Shanghai.