From regional integration to investment: East Africa means business. 🌍   Yesterday, I had the pleasure of speaking at the opening of the East Africa CEO & Investment Forum 2026 in Nairobi – bringing t...

What if sustainable transport is not primarily a climate agenda — but a development strategy for Africa? Africa’s transport systems are at a turning point: With rapid urbanisation, a young and growi...

A big thank-you to the Asia-Africa Institute (University of Hamburg) and the Centre for Business and Technology in Africa (Flensburg University of Applied Sciences) for an excellent conference on “Dec...

Stronger partnerships in changing times: GIZ and KOICA deepen their cooperation   Last week, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH hosted the German-Korean Forum and its b...

Working on the proofs of my new book on Africa The book rethinks Africa–Europe relations in a changing world. It starts from a deliberately pointed proposition: Africa is not simply a continent Euro...

Climate change is reshaping livelihoods and mobility – but displacement is not inevitable. Yesterday, I had the opportunity to participate in the SGAS–VAD 2026 Conference „African Perspectives on Gl...

Strengthening climate risk intelligence and mobility responses in the Horn of Africa I had the privilege of visiting the IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC) in Nairobi – IGAD’s sp...

Reporting from Kenya, how innovative SMEs create decent jobs, strengthen local value creation and drive climate-friendly growth. My take-away: when entrepreneurs, public institutions, development part...

From sunlight to fertilizer: Africa’s green industrial future in action 🇰🇪☀️ Today, during my visit to Talus Renewables in Naivasha, Kenya, I had the opportunity to see a fascinating example of how r...

Today in Nairobi, I had the opportunity to exchange with the team of the The HORN International Institute for Strategic Studies (HIIS). Our conversation highlighted just how interconnected the dynami...

Why international cooperation still matters   After more than 25 years working in international cooperation, I have learned to be sceptical of both easy optimism and easy pessimism.   Today, internati...

A particular highlight during my visit to Arusha in Tanzania this week was the opening of an exhibition celebrating the women who are driving trade and economic integration across East Africa. The exh...

Over the past few days, I have been travelling across Tanzania – from Arusha for negotiations between East African Community and Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) to Dodo...

The most effective Ebola response starts long before an outbreak makes global headlines. A thought-provoking article by Dr. Jean Kaseya, Reem Alabali Radovan, Hadja Lahbib and Éléonore Caroit in Deve...

Africa’s future is being shaped every day by millions of women who are leading businesses, transforming agriculture, driving scientific innovation, strengthening communities, and championing peace and...

After an inspiring visit to Burundi, my journey took me to Rwanda: from policy discussions on mineral governance to descending into an underground tin mine, participating in a GIZ training for miners,...

Over the last few days, I had the opportunity to visit Burundi – a country that demonstrates how sustained cooperation can create lasting impact, both locally and across the wider Great Lakes region. ...

Kenya and Germany reaffirm their strategic partnership 🇰🇪🇩🇪 Yesterday and today in Berlin, at the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), Kenya & Germany held high-level gove...

From project ideas to strategic cooperation: Today in Berlin, the 1st Kenyan-German Business Day took place, involving a huge crowd from the business community of both countries. The event serves as ...

Deepening the Kenyan-German partnership: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Kenyan President William Ruto held a high-level bilateral meeting on June 16, 2026, on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in...

Kenya is attempting one of the most ambitious refugee policy shifts in Africa. For years, nearly 1 million refugees - mainly from Somalia and South Sudan - have lived in camps like Dadaab and Kakuma....

Mark Suzman’s recent Foreign Affairs article, “The End of Foreign Aid Is Not the End of Development”, makes an important point: while traditional aid budgets are shrinking, development itself is far f...

As Central and East Africa face a renewed Ebola threat, the current outbreak is a stark reminder that pandemics do not stop at borders, and that epidemic preparedness remains a global public good. Th...

Today in Brussels, policymakers, companies, financiers and development partners from both continents came together for the “EU-Africa AI Tech Business Offer Event” to discuss how Africa and Europe can...

Today I had the pleasure of meeting the brilliant minds of the current AFRIKA KOMMT! cohort: 34 young professionals from 13 African countries who are currently in Germany, gaining experience with lead...

Tanzania offers a good example how we at Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH build mutually beneficial partnerships with companies from Germany investing and trading wit...

Exciting News! Reem Alabali Radovan, German Federal Minister for Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), just visited Kenya, including a stop at Kiri EV, an e-mobility start-u...

Great news: Our German Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development Reem Alabali Radovan just visited Kenya, where we at Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH...

From flood to food: restoring livelihoods in South Ethiopia   On my current trip to Ethiopia, I had the opportunity to assess our work with communities in the lowlands of South Ethiopia, where we at D...

It was exciting to take part in the EU-Ethiopian Business Forum in Addis Ababa in the last two days. The forum has been more than just a meeting, but a powerful reminder of what international cooperat...

Coming soon 📚 I’m excited to share the announcement of my latest book: „Africa Matters: Without Africa, Europe Has No Future“ Co-authored with Reimer Gronemeyer, this book explores the evolving rel...

Today, Sudan is in the spotlight of the international community as the Sudan Conference takes place in Berlin. Exactly three years ago, a large-scale violent escalation began - one that continues to h...

Africa and Germany: Strengthening partnerships, shaping shared futures Last night in Berlin, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, was hosted by H.E. Friedrich Merz, Fed...

„ … trade flows with Africa are holding up when this is not the case in other regions. In a period marked by geopolitical risk, supply‑chain disruptions and weak global demand, stability itself become...

Exciting opportunity for professionals across East Africa! The #Jumuiya e-Academy is empowering citizens with continuous, practice-oriented learning that aligns with real market demands—and can be ap...

How we at German Cooperation support returnees, internally displaced people and host communities to sustain agriculture, boost production, and improve food security in South Sudan. #GermanCooperatio...

Important opportunity for researchers in African countries. Go for it:

Building electric motorcycles tailored to African conditions - and using them as an opportunity for industrialization: Fantastic first-hand report on how a team of researchers rode a locally manufac...

Digital payment systems in East Africa are more than a fintech success story - they are becoming critical economic infrastructure. From mobile money platforms enabling financial inclusion at scale, to...

Insightful reflections by Robert Kappel on the relation between foreign-direct investments and structural transformation in African countries: „The findings show that while the composition of FDI has...

Part-Special Issue: The Social Impact of Climate Change in Southern Africa. Volume 51, Issue 4 of Journal of Southern African Studies

Ideas matter. And it's high time key players in the Horn (politicians, academics, journalists, analysts, and military strategists) chose to escape the pro-war shackles of geography and history.

I absolutely agree with Amb - Prof Bitange Ndemo: „The world is entering an era defined by competition for energy, minerals, and technological leadership. In this new landscape, Africa has an opportun...

When Multipolar Competition Comes to the Horn: The Lessons of War in Iran for the Horn of Africa

Interesting reflections by Brendon J. Cannon, on how the Iran war could destabilise the Horn of Africa. Gulf states have in recent years increasingly engaged in countries at the Horn, and are now li...

Today, on International Women’s Day, I’m reflecting on the many inspiring women across East Africa and the Horn of Africa who are shaping more inclusive economies, stronger communities, and more resil...

Let’s talk digital: Kenya is a digital leader in East Africa, but also on the continent at large, with a thriving digital ecosystem and a strong emphasis on digital transformation in its wider economi...

Today, on the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), we reaffirm a simple truth: FGM is a violation of human rights, and it has no place in any society. More than 20...

Absolutely agree - East Africa and its countries are trailblazing the shift toward electric mobility and climate-neutral transport. This momentum is clearly visible on the ground in major cities and, ...