Africa: Germany's Growing Interest in Africa - A Win for Both Sides?

What the report says

AllAfrica, carrying a Deutsche Welle report, says German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul is on a multi-country Africa tour aimed at strengthening ties on security, skills training and investment. The trip, reported on July 22, takes him to Nigeria after a stop in Mauritania and before a planned visit to South Africa. DW said it is Wadephul’s third Africa trip in 2026, following visits to Ethiopia and Kenya in January and Morocco in April.

In Mauritania, the talks centered on migration, counterterrorism and regional stability. DW cited analyst Fidel Amakye Owusu as saying Germany’s interest is linked partly to migration, especially the Atlantic route toward Europe. The report noted that the visit came after the UN refugee agency reported at least 144 deaths near the Mauritanian coast. Wadephul’s delegation also met the Mourchidates, a state-backed group of female Islamic spiritual guides involved in efforts to prevent extremism.

In Nigeria, DW reported that Wadephul met entrepreneurs, creatives, students and figures in the cultural sector, while emphasizing vocational education, science, technology, innovation and commercial cooperation. Nigeria’s foreign ministry said it expected the engagements to deepen friendship and create new areas of collaboration supporting growth, stability and prosperity.

The final leg is expected in South Africa, described by DW as Germany’s most important economic partner on the continent. The report cited more than 600 German companies operating there and German direct investment of €7.99 billion in 2023, alongside €2.6 billion in South African investment in Germany. The wider push follows a Germany-African Union strategic dialogue launched last year on foreign and security policy, backed by more than €100 million in pledged German funding.