European Union leaders announced a 4.7 billion euro ($5.10 billion) investment package during a visit to South Africa on Thursday, at a time when both are on worse terms with the United States than they have been for decades.
The European leaders said the visit was an opportunity to strengthen close ties with Africa's most advanced economy, coinciding with the latter's presidency of the Group of 20 nations, which U.S. officials have so far largely snubbed.
U.S. President Donald Trump has stunned European leaders with his pivot towards Russia in the Ukraine war, upending U.S. policy since Moscow's full-scale invasion in 2022. His staunchly pro-Israel stance has brought him into conflict with South Africa over its genocide case against Israel at the World Court.
The U.S. administration has also interposed itself in Europe and South Africa's domestic politics, criticising Europe for attempting to isolate the far right and ignoring voters' concerns about immigrants, while cutting aid to South Africa over its efforts to address historic racial land injustice.
The EU trip was an opportunity to ameliorate ties, which soured when South Africa refused to outright condemn Russia's Vladimir Putin for invading Ukraine.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said South Africa had a vital role on the world stage as a leading voice of the Global South.
"In a moment of increased confrontation and competition, we must strengthen our partnership further," she said.
She said at talks with President Cyril Ramaphosa in Cape Town that Europe wanted to help the South African economy grow.
"Europe understands your potential," she said, sitting alongside European Council President Antonio Costa. She cited clean hydrogen, where South Africa could make use of abundant raw materials and vast renewable energy potential.
Ramaphosa said South Africa wanted Europe's support to transition to a low carbon economy and grow industry, and that it valued European support for multilateralism at a time of rising nationalism.
"African relations with the European Union should be built on a mutually beneficial partnership," he said.
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France has rejected claims that South Africa was dropped from the guest list for this year’s G7 summit under pressure from United States, insisting the decision to invite Kenya was its own.
Here are the latest stories from AnewZ’s Africa News programme, focusing on political and security developments across the African continent.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 11th of January, covering the latest developments you need to know.
South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa called on the African National Congress (ANC), his party, to address its poor record on delivering basic services, ahead of upcoming local elections where the ANC is expected to lose support.
Israel said it had killed Alireza Tangsiri, the Commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC)’s Navy, on Thursday, as confict in the Middle East continued.
The foreign ministers of the G7 group of nations on Friday called for an immediate stop to attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure in the Iran war.
Northern European countries must significantly boost military drone production to help Ukraine defeat Russia, Latvia’s Prime Minister has said, warning that victory would be “impossible” without greater support.
A marine drone struck a Turkish crude oil tanker that had departed Russia, causing an explosion in the Black Sea near Istanbul's Bosphorus strait on Thursday, Türkiye's transportation minister said.
The United Nations has adopted a resolution to recognise transatlantic slavery as the "gravest crime against humanity" despite resistance from Europe and the United States. Ghana proposed it at the United Nations on Wednesday calling for reparations.
Turkish military personnel participating in NATO’s mission in Iraq have been “successfully” withdrawn from the country, the Turkish Defence Ministry announced on Thursday.
China and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have agreed to deepen cooperation on the peaceful use of nuclear technology, with a focus on supporting sustainable development across the Global South.
The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic has released a report on 27 March 2025 detailing extreme violence in Suwayda, Syria, in July 2025, which resulted in more than 1,700 deaths and the displacement of nearly 200,000 people.
The 2025 North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) annual report, presented by Mark Rutte, the Secretary General of the organisation, reveals a significant shift in stance and policy.
U.S. paper currency will bear President Donald Trump's signature starting this summer, the first time a sitting president has signed American money, the Treasury Department said on Thursday. The change comes as the United States prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary.
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