The German Federal Government's Africa Policy

A deeper partnership with Africa
In December 2016, Germany assumed the presidency of the G20 with the central goal of deepening international partnership with the African continent. A lot has happened since then. New initiatives and programmes have been developed, and more and more federal ministries are becoming involved in Africa. At the state level, too, there are increasing efforts to further develop partnerships with our neighbouring continent.
Below you will find a brief overview of the Federal Government's Africa policy.

Africa policy guidelines

In January 2025, the German government published new Africa policy guidelines. These replace the previous versions and serve as a strategic framework for German Africa policy. The aim is to establish partnerships on an equal footing in order to tackle global challenges and promote common interests. The guidelines consolidate the strategies of the individual ministries and define clear priorities for cooperation with Africa.
The guidelines focus on the following four core interests:
  • Global challenges: Working together to tackle climate change, pandemics, migration, etc.
  • Economic cooperation: Promoting sustainable growth, trade, investment and diversification.
  • Democracy & development: Strengthening democratic resilience, education, science and innovation.
  • Security & stability: Promoting peace, security and sustainable stability on the continent.

Compact with Africa

The Compact with Africa initiative was launched in 2017 under the German G20 Presidency. The main objective of the initiative is to work with African countries to improve conditions for private investment and employment opportunities in Africa. To this end, African countries willing to undertake reforms are brought together with international organisations such as the World Bank or the African Development Bank and G20 partner countries.
The initiative is demand-driven and open to all African countries. The partners work together to develop individual solutions tailored to each country. There are no one-size-fits-all solutions. The African partner countries agree to implement macroeconomic, financial and business reforms, while the G20 countries bring the partner countries together with international investors and coordinate support measures.
Thirteen African countries are already participating in Compact with Africa: Egypt, Ethiopia, Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Morocco, Rwanda, Senegal, Togo, Tunisia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In Germany, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection (BMWK) is responsible for implementing the initiative, in close cooperation with the Federal Ministry of Finance (BMF).
Further information can be found on the Compact with Africa website.

Marshall Plan for Africa

As part of Germany's efforts to strengthen its engagement with Africa, the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) realigned its cooperation with Africa at the beginning of 2017. The result is the so-called ‘Marshall Plan for Africa’. It forms the basis of Germany's engagement in the Compact with Africa initiative.
The Marshall Plan with Africa represents a ‘contract for the future’ with Africa. It is based on the following three pillars and also addresses four other key areas:
  • Economy, trade and employment: This includes, among other things, improving the investment and innovation climate, reducing bureaucracy and promoting digitalisation.
  • Peace and security: This includes strengthening Africa's security architecture and combating corruption.
  • Democracy and the rule of law: This area includes promoting legal certainty, administrative modernisation and political participation.
In addition, the Marshall Plan addresses the following areas:
  • Food and agriculture
  • Climate and securing natural resources
  • Energy and infrastructure
  • Health, education and social security
The pillars and areas mentioned above aim to improve political and economic conditions. The issues of digitalisation and greater support for women and girls are taken into account in all areas.
Reform partnerships with selected African countries are a central element of the Marshall Plan with Africa. Further information on the Marshall Plan with Africa can be found here.

New reform partnerships

As part of the G20 Compact with Africa initiative and the Marshall Plan with Africa, the BMZ has entered into several bilateral partnerships with African countries, known as reform partnerships. Reform partnerships with Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana and Tunisia have been in place since 2017. In 2019, three further reform partnerships were added with Ethiopia, Morocco and Senegal. A seventh reform partnership with Togo is in preparation.
The aim is to improve good governance and the framework conditions for private sector activity. The partner countries are characterised by their particular willingness to reform and their own efforts. They set their own priorities and goals. In addition, priority sectors are selected that support the achievement of the goals. Cooperation with Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana focuses on renewable energies and energy efficiency. Tunisia concentrates on the banking and financial sector and the public sector. The focus in Morocco is on financial system development. In Ethiopia, the focus is on private sector development and agriculture. Senegal focuses on economic governance, with an emphasis on labour law, access to land, SME promotion and vocational training.
Together with the partner countries, detailed reform agendas have been agreed upon that specify both the reform commitments of the partner country and the support offered by the BMZ to help achieve the goals and promote development in the reform sectors. In addition to financial support and advice, the BMZ has set up other instruments and initiatives, such as the Development Investment Fund, the Special Initiative on Training and Employment, and the Good Governance Initiative for More Investment and Employment in Africa. Further information on the reform partnerships can be found here.

Development Investment Fund

The Development Investment Fund (EIF) was launched in 2019 and complements Germany's efforts to become more involved in Africa. The EIF's task is to promote private investment in African countries. The EIF consists of three components:
  • AfricaConnect
  • AfricaGrow
  • Africa Business Network
The Africa Business Network is implemented by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi). It is an instrument for promoting foreign trade and consists of a bundled range of advisory and support services.
AfricaConnect and AfricaGrow are implemented by the BMZ. AfricaConnect is a comprehensive financing instrument, while AfricaGrow is an umbrella fund that supports small and medium-sized enterprises and start-ups on the African continent. Further information can be found here.

BMWK's Africa Strategy

In 2023, the BMWK (formerly BMWi) published its ‘Africa Strategy’, which replaces the previous ‘Pro! Africa’ initiative and realigns economic cooperation with Africa. The strategy is based on the German government's current Africa policy guidelines. The aim is to promote Africa's economic development through deeper partnerships and greater involvement of the private sector.
The focus is on promoting sustainable and inclusive growth, strengthening regional value creation and diversifying economic relations. The ‘Africa Strategy’ takes into account the changed global conditions and challenges such as climate change, digitalisation and geopolitical shifts. It focuses on cooperation with African partners on an equal footing and the promotion of innovation, new technologies and sustainable business models.
The strategy comprises a variety of measures aimed at strengthening economic cooperation. These include:
  • Promoting investment and trade
  • Strengthening the private sector and entrepreneurship
  • Expanding energy partnerships and cooperation
  • Promoting sustainable infrastructure
  • Supporting digitalisation
  • Expanding vocational training and qualifications
  • Promoting innovation and new technologies
Information on the BMWK's ‘Africa Strategy’ can be found here.
Stand: 30.12.2025