On 13 March, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Council President António Costa participated in the EU-South Africa Summit held in Cape Town to strengthen the strategic partnership between Europe and South Africa. During the summit, both parties agreed to commence discussions on a new generation of trade agreements called the Clean Trade and Investment Partnership. This initiative will mark South Africa as the first country to enter into such an agreement with the European Union.
The partnership will prioritise investments in clean energy transitions, skill development, technology advancements, and establishing strategic industries across entire supply chains, thereby fostering quality employment opportunities in Africa.
Additionally, the leaders consented to expand their collaboration in critical raw materials. President von der Leyen announced the Global Gateway Investment Package valued at €4.7 billion to further this new phase in EU-South Africa relations. Of this total, €4.4 billion will be allocated to projects that support a clean and equitable energy transition in South Africa. This investment significantly contributes to the Scaling Up Renewables in Africa campaign, which was launched by President von der Leyen and the President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, during the G20 Summit in Rio. With support from Global Citizen and backing from the International Energy Agency, the campaign will culminate in a major pledging event at the upcoming G20 Summit in Johannesburg.
“Today’s Summit has further strengthened our Strategic Partnership, which will support our efforts to drive inclusive economic growth, create jobs, eradicate poverty and address global challenges in a spirit of solidarity, collaboration and partnership,” the President of South Africa said.
Moreover, the Global Gateway package seeks to enhance both physical and digital connectivity infrastructure, as well as to advance the local pharmaceutical industry.
Find the joint declaration here.
