Co-creators instead of just partners:
Development Minister Alabali-Radovan speaks at SAFRI’s Africa Day event

On May 25, 2025, SAFRI, together with the KfW banking group and the African embassies in Germany, hosted the event “German Investments in Africa” at KfW’s headquarters in Berlin. The occasion was Africa Day, with the aim of strengthening economic dialogue and promoting long-term partnerships between Germany and African countries.

Political impetus with a signal effect

The highlight of the event was the first public keynote speech by Federal Development Minister Reem Alabali-Radovan on Africa policy in the new legislative period.
In her keynote speech, she emphasized: “We are at a point where Europe and Africa can be more than partners—we can become co-creators of a new political and economic standard of cooperation based on respect, openness, and reciprocity.”

This vision of equal, future-oriented cooperation with Africa was also shared by State Secretary Stefan Rouenhoff, who explained in his practical keynote speech: “No beauty is as beautiful as that of action.” He also highlighted the important role of institutions such as KfW and SAFRI in implementing the new Africa policy.

Exchange between politics, business, and science

The event provided a platform for dialogue between representatives from politics, business, science, and diplomacy. Moroccan Ambassador Zohour Alaoui opened the event with a welcoming address on behalf of the African diplomatic missions. Other contributions came from, among others:

• Stefan Peiß, KfW
• Florian Pickert, K+S Gruppe
• Prof. Dr. Philipp von Carlowitz, ESB Business School, Hochschule Reutlingen
• Mohamed Salif Keita, Journalist
• Prof. Dr. Rainer Thiele, Kiel Institut für Weltwirtschaft
• Dr. Joy Asongazoh Alemazung, Bürgermeister Heubach
• Sabine Odhiambo, Deutsche Afrika Stiftung

The discussions made it clear that the key to successful investment lies in trusting relationships, economic realism, and open, multilateral dialogue.
With events such as this, SAFRI is strengthening its role as a bridge builder between German companies, political decision-makers, and African partners.