Reflections on APRI's Inaugural Africa in the World Event

The document reflects on the 'Reimagining Development Cooperation: Pragmatic Pathways for Africa-Germany Relations' event held in Berlin on January 24, 2024. It argues that the current relationship is rooted in a 'neocolonial model' characterized by unequal raw materials acquisition and a lack of value addition within African economies. Key discussions centered on the need to move beyond 'North-South' labels, the importance of industrialisation, and the necessity of shifting from a 'help partnership' to one based on mutual benefit and African leadership in agenda-setting. While the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) suggests 'refocusing' the relationship via its Africa Strategy, other participants called for a complete 'uprooting and disruption' of the current system to address colonial legacies and debt issues.

• The current Africa-Germany development cooperation is described as falling within a 'neocolonial model' that maintains an unequal and exploitative relationship, particularly regarding the acquisition of raw materials which 'structurally prevents value addition within African economies'.
• There is a significant tension between the German government's approach and the calls for systemic change; while the BMZ's Africa Strategy aims to 'refocus' the relationship, other experts argue for the 'uprooting and disruption of the current system'.
• The document identifies a need to discard outdated cognitive frameworks and labels such as 'Global North and Global South' or 'developed and developing', as these descriptions reinforce marginalisation and shape the views of policymakers.
• Industrialisation is identified as Africa's 'most significant need', yet the paper asserts that the current partnership model does not centre this need and instead prioritises 'German and European interests'.
• The paper argues for a decolonised approach to cooperation that prioritises 'African agency', which would involve greater African involvement in agenda-setting, leadership in project implementation, and the centering of African preferences.
• The document highlights the necessity of resource beneficiation and value creation in commodity industries, such as minerals and cocoa, to generate employment within Africa rather than merely exporting raw materials.

APA

Gwatiwa, T. (2024). Reflections on APRI's Inaugural Africa in the World Event. Africa Policy Research Institute. https://afripoli.org/reflections-on-apris-inaugural-africa-in-the-world-event

Chicago

Gwatiwa, Tshepo. Reflections on APRI's Inaugural Africa in the World Event. Africa Policy Research Institute, 2024. https://afripoli.org/reflections-on-apris-inaugural-africa-in-the-world-event.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Gwatiwa |first1=Tshepo |title=Reflections on APRI's Inaugural Africa in the World Event |publisher=Africa Policy Research Institute |date=6 December 2024 |url=https://afripoli.org/reflections-on-apris-inaugural-africa-in-the-world-event |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{gwatiwa2024reflections, author = {Gwatiwa, Tshepo}, title = {{Reflections on APRI's Inaugural Africa in the World Event}}, institution = {Africa Policy Research Institute}, year = {2024}, month = dec, url = {https://afripoli.org/reflections-on-apris-inaugural-africa-in-the-world-event}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }