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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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.
China, Russia and Iran have begun a week-long joint naval exercise in South African waters, a move that comes amid strained relations between Washington and several members of the expanded BRICS bloc.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis arrived in Ankara on Wednesday, where Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held an official welcoming ceremony at the Presidential Palace, marking the start of high-level talks between the two NATO allies.
A senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader said on Tuesday that negotiations with the United States must remain focused on the nuclear issue and be grounded in realism, as Washington and Tehran prepare to resume talks mediated by Oman.
James Van Der Beek, who rose to fame as Dawson Leery in the hit teen drama Dawson’s Creek, has died aged 48 following a battle with stage 3 colorectal cancer.
China became Brazil’s largest source of imported vehicles in January, overtaking long-time leader Argentina in a shift that underscores Beijing’s rapidly expanding influence in one of Latin America’s biggest auto markets.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said a bridge project linking Canada’s Ontario province with the U.S. state of Michigan would contribute to cooperation between the two countries.
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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has chosen his teenage daughter as his successor, South Korea’s spy agency told lawmakers on Thursday.
Belgian police raided offices of the European Commission in Brussels on Thursday (12 February) as part of an investigation into the sale of European Union real estate assets in 2024, the Financial Times reported.
Polls have close in Bangladesh's first general election since the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government, marking a pivotal moment in the country’s political transition. Turnout reached 47.91% by early afternoon, according to partial data from election authorities.
Stalled U.S.–Iran talks and mounting regional tensions are exposing a growing strategic rift between Washington and Tel Aviv over how to confront Tehran, political analyst James M. Dorsey says, exposing stark differences in approach at a critical moment.
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