Stories by region: Africa

How a blind lawyer from Ethiopia ended up at GIZ in Bonn and why he feels very much at home there.

Sara Nuru rose to fame as a winner of Germany’s Next Top Model. She is now a successful entrepreneur, supporting women in Ethiopia. In 2018, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) appointed Sara Nuru as an ambassador for fair trade. In this interview for akzente, she reports on how her own association, nuruWomen, is supporting economic independence for women.

GIZ component manager Teresa Krafft and Swiss Colonel André Stirnimann report on their work at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Center (KAIPTC) in Ghana.

My name is Matthias Militzer. I returned to Germany at the end of last year, having spent many exciting years working as a GIZ risk manager in Afghanistan and South Sudan.

To bring about a Just Energy Transition (JET), you have to take everyone with you and get them actively involved. On behalf of the German Government, GIZ supports a number of South African partner organisations as they embark on this journey. We interviewed a wide range of people about the changes they see happening in the Cape.

Development cooperation and humanitarian aid are important for Germany’s own stability and its role in the world, says the Chair of the Board of Welthungerhilfe. Marlehn Thieme explains how GIZ and Welthungerhilfe are achieving results together and describes the obstacles in their way.

South Africa and its energy transition: a journey to the Western Cape shows how young people are being integrated into efforts to transform the energy sector.

South Africa’s progress and challenges on the road to a green energy future: Aalia Cassim, Acting Chief Director of Microeconomic Policy at the National Treasury of South Africa, in an akzente interview

A reality check for young German companies: the Cologne-based start-up Detechgene was one of 10 German firms that took part in the exchange programme between Nigeria and North Rhine-Westphalia. In this interview, co-founder Robin Bayer and employee Kai Wageringel talk about their experiences.

Stanley Mutuma is Secretary General of the Kenya National Paralympic Committee. Stanley, a lawyer, is blind and knows what an important role sport plays in inclusion.

The Zambian national women’s football team is setting an example for women’s and girls’ health. Ahead of the team’s participation in the Olympic Games in Paris, players have launched the #kickTheSTIGMA campaign in collaboration with GIZ. The aim is to break down taboos surrounding the topic of menstruation.

CONNEX supports governments in their negotiations with the private sector. Its work is having an impact: contracts are better, tax revenue is higher and due regard is given to environmental regulations.