German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has commenced a weeklong diplomatic and economic tour across three African countries—Egypt, Ghana, and Angola—underscoring Germany’s renewed commitment to equitable and sustainable partnerships across the African continent. The tour, which reflects a deliberate strategy to foster mutual growth rather than unidirectional aid, builds upon Germany’s long-standing political and economic engagements within the framework of the Compact with Africa (CwA) initiative.
Steinmeier’s first engagement was the ceremonial opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza, a cultural milestone for Egypt and a soft power moment that aligns with the country’s broader ambition to revive its tourism economy. The museum, one of the world’s largest devoted to a single civilisation, now hosts over 100,000 artefacts, including the full collection from Tutankhamun’s tomb. This event, while symbolic, provided the backdrop for deeper policy discussions between Steinmeier and President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, including the regional implications of the Gaza conflict and future bilateral cooperation.
Germany’s economic footprint in Egypt continues to expand, particularly through major infrastructure projects in transportation, digitalisation, and energy sectors. As noted by Khadi Camara of the German-African Business Association, Egypt represents one of the few African economies where German firms are consistently implementing broad-scale investment across diverse sectors. The country’s geographic and economic positioning makes it increasingly attractive for long-term investment, despite broader regional instabilities.
Following Egypt, Steinmeier will visit Ghana—a partner country in the G20 Compact with Africa—to engage with President John Dramani Mahama and explore mechanisms to intensify bilateral collaboration. Ghana, with a population approaching 35 million, is undergoing a transformative economic vision under Mahama, who assumed office in January. His administration’s “24-hour economy” agenda is designed to drive job creation and industrial productivity, particularly in sectors such as gold mining and construction.
Ghana has also emerged as a critical hub for pharmaceutical sovereignty on the continent. Germany, in cooperation with the European Union, is supporting the West African nation’s ambition to establish itself as a regional centre for vaccine production and medical research. This initiative seeks not only to enhance local capacity but also to reduce dependence on foreign imports—an issue made starkly evident during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The German delegation is expected to meet with local tech innovators, signalling a shift in Germany’s development approach that increasingly values African digital entrepreneurship and knowledge-based economies. According to Anna Lena Wasserfall, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation’s representative in Accra, German cooperation in Ghana is strongly oriented towards renewable energy, institutional reforms, and governance. The focus, she notes, is as much about regional stability as it is about economic return.
Ghana’s involvement in the CwA has facilitated more favourable export credit guarantees from Germany, but persistent challenges remain. Structural inefficiencies, currency volatility, public debt burdens, and inconsistent regulatory frameworks continue to deter large-scale private investment. Acknowledging these realities, the German government and the World Bank have initiated the Compact with Africa Trust Fund, aiming to address these gaps through targeted support for infrastructure, vocational training, and business environment reforms.
The final leg of Steinmeier’s tour brings him to Angola, where he becomes the first German president to undertake a state visit. Angola, an oil-producing nation and current chair of the African Union, is actively seeking admission into the CwA. The country’s recent policy trajectory has prioritised economic diversification and political reform, areas in which German stakeholders have begun to take a strategic interest.
President João Lourenço’s government has sought to reduce the country’s overreliance on hydrocarbon revenues by investing in renewable energy, agriculture, and health. German companies are engaged in several key sectors, including green hydrogen and hydroelectric power. Steinmeier’s agenda includes a visit to the Lobito Corridor, a key component of the EU’s Global Gateway initiative—a counterproposal to China’s Belt and Road strategy. This vital trade route connects the Atlantic port of Lobito to the mineral-rich Copperbelt in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia, opening up access to global markets.
Beyond economic interests, Angola’s diplomatic clout within the African Union makes it a valuable interlocutor for Germany. President Lourenço has played a significant role in peace facilitation between the DRC and Rwanda, exemplifying the growing assertiveness of African-led diplomacy in regional conflicts.
Wasserfall noted that this renewed diplomatic energy from Germany reflects a broader recalibration of its Africa strategy—moving from development assistance to partnership models that respect African agency. However, she cautioned that sustainable engagement will require addressing persistent issues such as corruption, legal ambiguity, and bureaucratic inertia, which can undermine even well-intentioned investment initiatives.
In contrast to previous modes of engagement that positioned African states as passive recipients of Western aid, Steinmeier’s visit appears to signal a deeper reckoning with Africa’s diverse political economies and strategic relevance in an increasingly multipolar world. It suggests a recognition that Africa is not a monolith, but a continent of dynamic societies, each with distinct aspirations, challenges, and opportunities.
Germany’s pan-African engagement, thus, is not merely a diplomatic courtesy. It is part of a larger reconfiguration in global partnerships, where African voices and interests are increasingly shaping the terms of international cooperation.
