Co-creators instead of just partners:

Development Minister Alabali-Radovan
speaks at SAFRI’s Africa Day event

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

Political impulse 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 stressed: “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 an equal, future-oriented cooperation with Africa was also shared by State Secretary Stefan Rouenhoff, who explained in his practical impulse: “No beauty is as beautiful as that of action.” He also emphasised the important role of institutions such as KfW and SAFRI in the implementation of 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. The Moroccan Ambassador Zohour Alaoui opened the event with a welcome 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 investments lies in trusting relationships, economic realism and an open,
multilateral dialogue. With events like this, SAFRI strengthens its role as a bridge builder between German companies, political decision-makers and African partners.