Europe has secured €15.5 billion to accelerate clean energy development across Africa, following a year-long global campaign led by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
According to a statement on Sunday, the European Union led the mobilisation effort, contributing more than €15.1 billion. This includes over €10 billion pledged by President von der Leyen on behalf of Team Europe, supported by additional bilateral commitments from EU Member States, European financial institutions, and mobilised private capital.
Organised in partnership with Global Citizen and supported by the International Energy Agency, the campaign sought to expand investment in renewable energy, widen electricity access, and promote sustainable, low-carbon industrial growth across Africa. The initiative also aligns with global efforts to transition away from fossil fuels.
President von der Leyen described the achievement as a major milestone for Africa’s energy transition. “With €15.5 billion, we are turbocharging Africa’s clean-energy transition. Millions more people could gain access to electricity—real, life-changing power for families, businesses, and communities,” she said. She added that the investment would stimulate markets, create jobs, and strengthen Europe–Africa energy cooperation.
The Team Europe package includes new Global Gateway projects co-financed by Germany, France, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, the European Investment Bank (€2.1 billion), and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (€740 million). Additional bilateral pledges exceeding €5 billion came from Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Denmark, Sweden, Austria, and Ireland. The EBRD also announced a separate €600 million investment.
Beyond Europe’s commitments, the African Development Bank pledged to allocate at least 20% of the African Development Fund’s 17th replenishment to renewable energy. Norway also pledged €53 million through its contribution to the fund from 2026 to 2028.
Overall, the campaign generated commitments expected to deliver 26.8 GW of renewable energy and provide electricity to 17.5 million households currently without reliable access.
Of the €10 billion pledged by President von der Leyen, €3.1 billion had been previously announced at major events in 2025, including the EU-South Africa Summit and the Global Gateway Forum. An additional €7 billion was unveiled during the final pledging event in Johannesburg on November 21.
Several Team Europe partners have also indicated plans to increase renewable energy investment by 2030, amounting to an extra €4 billion.
Launched in November 2024 in Rio de Janeiro, the “Scaling Up Renewables in Africa” campaign aimed to attract finance and policy commitments from governments, financial institutions, the private sector and philanthropies. It supports global goals of tripling renewable energy capacity and doubling energy efficiency by 2030, set at COP28.
With 600 million Africans still lacking electricity and the continent’s population projected to double by 2050, scaling up clean, affordable energy is considered critical for economic development and climate stability. Although Africa possesses 60% of the world’s best solar resources, it receives only 2% of global energy investment.
Through the Global Gateway strategy and the Africa–Europe Green Energy Initiative, the EU says it is working closely with African partners to expand clean energy generation, transmission infrastructure, and regional electricity markets, positioning Africa for a sustainable energy future.
