As Gulf rivalries extend into the Red Sea, African states are gaining strategic value while facing new pressures on their room for manoeuvre. Priyal Singh examines what the evolving security order means for Africa’s collective agency and Europe’s regional role.

In 2050, the world will be warmer, older, more African, less European–and yet not fully multipolar.

Critical raw materials are shaping the global geoeconomic landscape. For European industry, access to these materials is essential to maintain competitiveness. For resource-rich African nations, they offer potential for their own industrialization. This will bring Europe and Africa closer together.

While public debate on migration in Europe focuses mainly on irregular migration, regular routes for labour and education migration from Africa have been expanding. Whether these become fair and mutually beneficial pathways will depend on how they are designed and supported.

Demographic change is becoming an increasingly important driver of global power shifts. As America's demographic advantage narrows, Africa and Europe may face a changing geopolitical landscape with new risks, opportunities and strategic choices.

Ein russischer Angriff auf das Baltikum im Jahr 2028? Das gilt unter Militärs und Geheimdiensten nicht länger als Fiktion, sondern als bedrohlich realistisches Szenario. Europa muss jetzt entschlossen handeln, um eine glaubwürdige Abschreckung aufzubauen. Eine sichere Versorgung mit kritischen Rohstoffen ist dabei die Grundvoraussetzung für unsere Verteidigungsfähigkeit. Darum ist ein stärkeres Engagement in Afrika alternativlos.

The view that Africa needs our support is deeply rooted. "But Germany needs Africa more than the other way around," says Wolfgang Niedermark, member of the BDI Executive Board at the G20 Investment Summit 2023 in Berlin. There is great potential for more German-African cooperation in the areas of hydrogen, future technologies and raw materials.

Deutsche Unternehmen brauchen Afrika – für die Lösung geopolitischer und ökologischer Herausforderungen, als Absatzmarkt und für den Zugang zu Rohstoffen. Leider verharrt die deutsche Politik seit Jahrzehnten in verkrusteten Vorstellungen von Geber- und Nehmerländern. Das ist überheblich und lehrerhaft. Deutschland und Europa sollten den afrikanischen Ländern endlich attraktive Investitionsangebote machen und sie als Partner auf Augenhöhe behandeln.

"The German economy is facing major challenges today," says Heinz-Walter Große, chairman of the Sub-Saharan Africa Initiative of German Business (SAFRI), at the spring reception in honor of the African Diplomatic Corps in Berlin. Große emphasizes the need to develop alternative sources of raw materials and energy as well as new sales markets.

Under the leadership of Matthias Wachter, BDI Head of Department and Managing Director of the BDI NewSpace Initiative, BDI is intensifying its commitment to Africa and NewSpace. The "14th NewSpace Breakfast" in Berlin took place under the motto "NewSpace goes Africa". Matthias Wachter summarizes his impressions.

With Trump II, the rules-based world order is increasingly being shaken and is gradually being replaced by the law of the strongest. Although African countries have always criticized the constitution and the overrepresentation of “Western” countries in intergovernmental organizations such as the UN, the continent is hit particularly hard by geopolitical disruption. The geopolitical implications of the U.S. president's disruptive foreign policy style are having a decisive impact on the continent's economy. This is a forecast for Africa for the year 2026.

Both the EU and South Africa seek to reshape critical raw materials supply chains. The EU aims to reduce dependencies on China, while South Africa seeks to create jobs. Melanie Müller explains how their interests can be aligned for closer cooperation in the minerals sector.