South Africa and the European Union co-hosted their third joint Investment Seminar in the margins of African Mining Indaba 2026 in Cape Town.
The investment seminar, attended by over 200 senior representatives from business, industry, public and private financial institutions and policymakers, builds on the deepening EU-South Africa Strategic Partnership. Areas that enjoy specific attention include: industrial collaboration, regulatory cooperation, and job creation. Increased investment is facilitated through a Clean Trade and Investment Partnership, a Strategic Partnership on sustainable minerals and metals value chains, and the announced Team Europe Global Gateway Investment package of close to EUR 12 billion (appr. Rand 240 billion) in support of South Africa’s Just Energy Transition. Today’s event marked another important step in translating these commitments into practical cooperation, investment mobilisation, and policy alignment.
Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition of South Africa Honourable Mr Zuko Godlimpi, who opened the investment seminar, said: “South Africa believes that the future of minerals cooperation cannot be based on the old model of extraction here and value creation elsewhere. The clean transition demands something different: integrated, resilient and low-carbon value chains, built through genuine industrial partnership. With the Clean Trade and Investment Partnership between the European Union and South Africa we have the opportunity to build a new, fairer and more competitive model of cooperation. South Africa stands ready to work with the European Union to turn minerals into industries, industries into jobs, and partnership into shared prosperity.”
EU Ambassador to South Africa, Ms Sandra Kramer, said: “The European Union and South Africa have built strong political momentum over the past year, grounded in trust, shared values, and a common vision for sustainable growth. Today’s seminar demonstrates how we are turning that momentum into action — working together, through a Team Europe approach, to support sustainable minerals and metals value chains that create value locally, attract responsible investment, and contribute to resilient global supply chains. This partnership is not only about securing resources, but about building long-term industrial cooperation that benefits both South Africa and Europe.”
Discussions focused on a new model of partnership aimed at strengthening sustainable, integrated minerals and metals value chains, supporting value addition and beneficiation in South Africa, and creating an enabling environment for responsible investment. Participants highlighted the importance of developing and aligning predictable and coherent policy frameworks with operational and financial tools to unlock mutually beneficial industrial opportunities.
The investment seminar showcased the strength of Team Europe with the participation of the Minister of Defence and Foreign Trade of Belgium, Mr Theo Francken; the Minister for Economic Affairs of Finland, Mr Sakari Puisto; and the Deputy Minister for Enterprise of Italy, Mr Valentino Valentini. The European Commission was represented at senior level by Ms Myriam Ferran, Deputy Director-General for International Partnerships, and Mr Valère Moutarlier, Deputy Director-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs. This Team Europe collective engagement enables the mobilisation and scale up of complementary expertise, policy instruments, and financing in support of shared objectives.
By convening policymakers, development and industrial institutions, and private sector stakeholders at Africa’s leading mining forum, South Africa and the European Union reaffirmed their commitment to a long-term, mutually beneficial partnership that supports industrial development, job creation, and sustainable growth.
Source: EEAS