History of the Development Cooperation with South Africa. Coming to terms with apartheid.

Germany opposed the degrading, inhumane system of apartheid from early on. Nelson Mandela’s election ushered in a new era of democratic partnership. The dream of the “rainbow nation” was to become reality. Trade and investment started to flourish, bursaries and cultural exchange developed, political parties embarked on cooperation across borders, German constitutional law experts acted as advisers during the process of drafting the constitution.

Prior to 1990. Long-lasting close economic relations between Germany and South Africa; cooperation with South African nongovernmental organisations and reformist political movements inside and outside the country at the time of the apartheid regime; promotion of education and culture; support of the opposition.

From 1992 onwards. Keeping pace with the reform processes in South Africa, establishment of the official development cooperation after the first free elections of 1994. Since 1996 the German-South African Binational Commission (BNC) serves as the most important structure of the bilateral political dialogue.

Since 1994. South Africa has received funds of more than 550 million EUR of bilateral development aid from Germany. Inline with the promised strengthening of Africa by the G8-countries, this is also a sign of appreciation of South Africa as an anchor of stability for the entire continent. Therefore one focus lies on regional integration: the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the political forum for regional economic and social development (NEPAD), the reciprocal “peer review” process for democratic and human rightsoriented state management (APRM: African Peer Review Mechanism), and projects for the promotion of regional infrastructure are all being supported.

From 2002. Bundling of diverse individual projects in various sectors:

• Good Governance and Communal Development
• Skills Development
• Combating HIV&AIDS across the board
• Renewable energies and climate protection