South Africa and Germany have upgraded their bilateral relations to a Strategic Partnership, with a significant new funding injection for green hydrogen (GH2) projects at the heart of the deal.
The announcement came during the 12th meeting of the German-South African Bi-National Commission (BNC) in Berlin on Monday.
Foreign Ministers Ronald Lamola and Johann Wadephul signed a Joint Action Plan that includes extended cooperation on green hydrogen and battery value chains through the second phase of the Hydrogen for a Just Transition in South Africa (H2SA II) programme.
The deal includes a new finance facility, and more than €270 million in German and EU funding under the Global Gateway framework.
The 12th BNC marks the 30th anniversary of the commission, established in 1996 by President Nelson Mandela and Chancellor Helmut Kohl.
“In the Joint Action Plan, the foreign ministers underscore that stable partnerships between middle power and democratic nations are essential in the current volatile international environment in particular,” the ministries said in a joint statement after the meeting.
“They highlight that South African-German cooperation is founded on a shared commitment to the principles of a rules-based international order based on the Charter of the United Nations and international law, including the promotion and protection of human rights.”
Germany also advanced support for South Africa’s Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) with a new €200 million climate-related concessional loan and technical cooperation to accelerate grid and renewables investments.
Trade and investment cooperation will be intensified, including implementation of the EU-South Africa Clean Trade and Investment Partnership.
Quarterly consultations between the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) and Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE) will address non-tariff barriers and improve conditions for investors in energy and transport infrastructure.
Other outcomes include enhanced cooperation on critical raw materials via a new Inducement Prize for mineral beneficiation, deepened vocational training to boost youth employment, and strengthened agricultural trade links to prevent foot-and-mouth disease.
The countries reaffirmed their co-chairing of the G20 Compact with Africa Advisory Group to mobilise private investment across the continent.
The Strategic Partnership will intensify senior-level dialogue on multilateral issues, peace and security, democratic resilience, cyber foreign policy and navy staff talks.
