Germany has committed further funding of €276.5-million (about R5.2-billion) to South Africa for the period to 2026 to support several initiatives, including skills development and South Africa’s energy transition.

The funding was confirmed in a joint statement released following the 2024 Intergovernmental Negotiations on South African-German Development Cooperation held in Berlin from November 25 to 27, and as South Africa assumed the G20 Presidency.

In the statement, both countries pledged to deepen their cooperation on international topics ahead of the next G20 meeting, which will take place in Johannesburg in November, and specifically highlighted the fight against climate change and just energy transitions.

In a speech officially launching South Africa’s G20 Presidency, President Cyril Ramaphosa said South Africa intended using its role to secure progress on key global topics such as strengthening resilience to climate-induced natural disasters and mobilising finance for the just energy transition.

The statement is aligned to developments during Brazil’s recent G20 Presidency, but is also significant given that South Africa will hand over the presidency to the US, where Donald Trump, who is a climate sceptic, is President-elect.

Ramaphosa expressed confidence that the G20 leaders would continue to make progress on the priorities agreed at previous G20 gatherings, adding that he did not expect any dilution of agreements already made.

“I see very little room for any major break with what the G20 will have concluded,” he said.

Ramaphosa added that there were “sufficient shock-absorbers” in place to ensure that “all the wonderful decisions [taken by the G20] will rub off on those who will follow”.

In the joint statement, meanwhile, Germany underlined its commitment to supporting “a clean and just transition towards climate neutrality in South Africa”, while South Africa highlighted the importance of the "just" component, which relates to protecting livelihoods and the economic activity in the coal basin.

It was also announced that South Africa and Germany would further strengthen their ongoing cooperation in technical and vocational education and training and skills development.

“This will be complemented by additional initiatives focusing on pathways from learning to earning.”