Microsoft Word - Germany country report.doc

This report by the South African Institute of International Affairs examines Germany's evolving foreign policy and economic relations with Africa, with a specific focus on its 'strategic partnership' with South Africa. It details the transition from Cold War-era ideological instrumentalisation to a post-2000 policy of concentrated bilateral aid and partnerships for reform, while contextualising these efforts within Germany's own domestic economic challenges and its role within the European Union.

• Germany's foreign policy toward Africa evolved from a period of Cold War instrumentalisation, where Africa served overriding goals, to a marginalisation of the continent following reunification in 1990. This decline was evidenced by a reduction in aid recipients from 118 to 70 countries in May 2000 and a drop in Official Development Assistance (ODA) per Gross National Product (GNP) from 0.48% in 1982 to 0.26% in 1999.
• Starting in September 1998, the red-green coalition sought to revive Germany's image as a reliable African partner. This shift included increasing bilateral net ODA disbursements to €1,069 million in 2002, with Sub-Saharan Africa's share of this aid rising to 89.83%. Germany also aligned its aid with the G8 Africa Action Plan and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (Nepad), focusing on 'partnerships for reform'.
• Germany's economic engagement with Africa is characterized by a high concentration of investment in a few key states. In 2002, Libya, Egypt, and South Africa accounted for 93% of German Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Africa. Within sub-Saharan Africa specifically, South Africa's share of German FDI was 71.64% in 2002.
• Germany and South Africa maintain a 'strategic partnership' with deep economic ties. Germany was South Africa's largest supplier of imports in 2003 (R38,451 million) and the second-largest purchaser of South African exports to Europe (R18,071 million). Approximately 450 German companies operate in South Africa, employing nearly 70,000 people, primarily in the chemicals, machinery, electronics, tourism, insurance, and automobile sectors.
• Germany's security cooperation in Africa involves UN-mandated operations and financial support for peacekeeping. As of April 2005, deployments included military observers in Ethiopia and Eritrea, soldiers in Sierra Leone, and civilian police in Liberia. Germany also funded the establishment of the 'Kofi Annan Peacekeeping Training Centre' in Ghana to enhance the capacity of African regional organisations.
• Domestic economic pressures in Germany, including a 10% unemployment rate (the highest in the eurozone) and weak GDP growth of 0.1% in 2003, have influenced its African agenda. In response, Chancellor Schröder launched 'Agenda 2010', which included the 'Hartz IV' restructuring of social security and unemployment benefits to address structural inhibitors of growth.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (n.d.). Microsoft Word - Germany country report.doc. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/euaf_rep_germany_country_report.pdf

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. Microsoft Word - Germany country report.doc. n.d. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/euaf_rep_germany_country_report.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=Microsoft Word - Germany country report.doc |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/euaf_rep_germany_country_report.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairsndmicrosoft, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{Microsoft Word - Germany country report.doc}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/euaf_rep_germany_country_report.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }