Deutscher Außenhandel und Investitionen in Afrika: Geoökonomie, regionale Komplementaritäten und Mobilisierung inländischer Ressourcen

The author examines the tension in German foreign policy between corporate profit interests and a values-based rhetoric, specifically regarding its engagement with Africa. Historically, Germany's approach has been 'economistic,' focusing on raw material imports and machinery exports. The paper argues that current geopolitical shifts and the need for critical minerals provide an opportunity for Germany to move away from post-colonial models. It suggests that instead of merely securing cheap resources, Germany should support a pan-African industrial policy, the mobilization of domestic resources, and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to foster sustainable development and reduce Africa's dependence on raw material exports.

• Germany faces a fundamental conflict between the profit motives of its companies and the moral-based rhetoric of its foreign and development policy.
• Historically, German foreign trade policy has been driven by the interests of large corporations and small-to-medium enterprises (KMUs), often ignoring moral principles to maximize profit in markets like Russia and China.
• German direct investment in Africa has been quantitatively low, totaling 1.6 billion USD in 2021, though some large companies maintain significant production sites.
• Traditional German trade patterns in Africa involved importing oil and minerals while exporting machinery and chemicals, but current energy security needs may shift focus toward liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Senegal and pipelines from Nigeria, Niger, and Algeria.
• The author advocates for a pan-African industrial policy that emphasizes the mobilization of domestic resources and regional complementarities to overcome dependence on foreign private companies.
• The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is identified as a potential tool for realizing a progressive vision of regional infrastructure cooperation and complex industrial production, provided it moves beyond raw-material-oriented strategies.
• Germany's current dependence on African minerals presents a critical choice: continue a geoeconomic approach to secure cheap raw materials or adopt a fairer trade approach that reduces the wealth gap between Africa and Europe.

APA

Koddenbrock, K. (2024). Deutscher Außenhandel und Investitionen in Afrika: Geoökonomie, regionale Komplementaritäten und Mobilisierung inländischer Ressourcen. Africa Policy Research Institute. https://afripoli.org/de/deutscher-aussenhandel-und-investitionen-in-afrika-geooekonomie-regionale-komplementaritaeten-und-mobilisierung-inlaendischer-ressourcen

Chicago

Koddenbrock, Kai. Deutscher Außenhandel und Investitionen in Afrika: Geoökonomie, regionale Komplementaritäten und Mobilisierung inländischer Ressourcen. Africa Policy Research Institute, 2024. https://afripoli.org/de/deutscher-aussenhandel-und-investitionen-in-afrika-geooekonomie-regionale-komplementaritaeten-und-mobilisierung-inlaendischer-ressourcen.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Koddenbrock |first1=Kai |title=Deutscher Außenhandel und Investitionen in Afrika: Geoökonomie, regionale Komplementaritäten und Mobilisierung inländischer Ressourcen |publisher=Africa Policy Research Institute |date=12 March 2024 |url=https://afripoli.org/de/deutscher-aussenhandel-und-investitionen-in-afrika-geooekonomie-regionale-komplementaritaeten-und-mobilisierung-inlaendischer-ressourcen |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{koddenbrock2024deutscher, author = {Koddenbrock, Kai}, title = {{Deutscher Außenhandel und Investitionen in Afrika: Geoökonomie, regionale Komplementaritäten und Mobilisierung inländischer Ressourcen}}, institution = {Africa Policy Research Institute}, year = {2024}, month = mar, url = {https://afripoli.org/de/deutscher-aussenhandel-und-investitionen-in-afrika-geooekonomie-regionale-komplementaritaeten-und-mobilisierung-inlaendischer-ressourcen}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }