African states and societies are undergoing profound transformations. In an increasing number of countries, ever-younger populations demand political change. External actors such as China or Russia intensify their engagement on the continent. The number and scale of armed conflicts are on the rise, particularly in the northern half of Africa.
Global megatrends are driving or influencing such processes of transformation on the African continent. Megatrends are long-term structural changes that largely escape political control. They have profound effects on social, economic, and political orders. Examples include climate change, digitalisation, urbanisation, and shifts in global power relations.
In the project “Megatrends Africa: Implications and Options for German and International Policy”, we, the project team, explore how megatrends affect African states and societies. We seek to develop ideas for German and European cooperation with African partners that help to make ongoing transformations fairer and more sustainable. This is all the more important as Africa is rising on the agenda of German and European policymakers, as does their need for evidence-based policy advice.
In the initial phase of the project in 2022, we focus on three thematic areas:
Megatrends Africa is a joint project of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP), the German Institute for Development and Sustainability (IDOS), and the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW). Our project cooperates with the Kiel Institute Africa Initiative.
The project’s researchers adhere to the generally accepted principles for ensuring good scientific practice. All project publications are subject to an internal written internal peer review process. In case of our blog series MTA spotlight, the reviewing procedure is conducted through the project director affiliated with the author's organisation. Furthermore the Policy Briefs are subjected to a fact-checking process.
We produce policy-relevant research on major political, social, and economic trends in Africa. The team brings together scholars from both continents and different disciplines. Our aim is to exchange, take on, and critically question different perspectives. We do so at workshops with representatives from academia, politics, and civil society, through our publications, as well as here on the blog of our website. This way, we wish to contribute to a more nuanced public debate on Africa.
As an interdepartmentally financed research and advisory project, we receive funding from the German Federal Foreign Office, the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, and the Federal Ministry of Defence.
Rasante Urbanisierungsprozesse in Afrika stellen politische Entscheidungsträger*innen vor große Herausforderungen. Im jüngsten Megatrends Afrika-Workshop diskutierten Expert*innen, wie urbane Governance die Verstädterung nachhaltig und integrativ gestalten kann.
Africa’s rapid urbanization has left experts astonished and policymakers facing significant challenges. In our latest Megatrends Afrika policy workshop, urban governance experts discussed possible pathways to inclusive urbanization.
In Ägypten sind die Vorbereitungen für die diesjährige Weltklimakonferenz in vollem Gange. Welche Rolle der ägyptische Auslandsgeheimdienst bei deren Durchführung spielt und was das für das autoritäre Regime unter Präsident Abdel Fatah al-Sisi bedeutet, erklärt Stephan Roll (SWP) in diesem Megatrends Afrika Spotlight.
In Egypt, preparations for this year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) are in full swing. In this Megatrends Afrika Spotlight, Stephan Roll (SWP) explains the role of Egypt’s foreign intelligence service in its implementation and what this means for the authoritarian regime under President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi.
Security cooperation has become vital for protecting China’s interests and investments in Africa, especially in the geopolitically important Horn of Africa (HoA). Now, it recently launched the ‘Initiative of Peaceful Development in the Horn of Africa’ and appointed its first special envoy for the region. Both steps suggest that China seeks to become a more prominent development and security provider in the region. As the EU and Germany currently re-evaluate their relations with Beijing as much as with African partner countries, questions arise about the substance of the HoA initiative and what the consequences for peace and security in the region could be.
doi:10.18449/2022MTA-WP01
Mit dem endgültigen Abzug der französischen Militäroperation Barkhane aus Mali am 15. August 2022 und deren teilweiser Verlegung in das Nachbarland Niger regt sich auch dort zunehmend Protest in der Bevölkerung. Die Ankündigung von Präsident Mohamed Bazoum, die Dieselpreise anzuheben sorgt dabei für zusätzlichen Zündstoff. Megatrends Afrika sprach mit Moussa Tchangari, Generalsekretär der nigrischen Nichtregierungsorganisation Alternative Espaces Citoyens (AEC), über die Hintergründe des zivilgesellschaftlichen Unmuts, neue Formen des Protests und mögliche Auswege aus der aktuellen sicherheitspolitischen Krise.
