Two Global Gateway projects worth €57.8 million (US$66.5m) were unveiled at the Africa Green Hydrogen Summit in Cape Town on 15–16 September, marking a concrete step in the European Union’s push to turn headline investment pledges into bankable deals on the continent.
The initiatives, coordinated under the “Team Europe” banner, bring together the EU, Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands to support South Africa’s green hydrogen and battery value chains, according to the EU’s website.
The two projects, valued at more than €57.8 million, will be implemented by Germany’s GIZ development agency and KfW development bank in close cooperation with South African development finance institutions.
One project focuses on developing value chains for critical raw materials and batteries, renewable and low‑carbon hydrogen, and processed metals and minerals, including measures to facilitate investment for local businesses and strengthen skills and capacity. The second is designed to mobilize investment in South Africa’s green hydrogen sector, helping promising projects become financially sustainable and easier to finance while reducing barriers to access to capital.
Team Europe says the package will deploy grants, equity stakes and concessional capital for green hydrogen projects, alongside support to strengthen policy and environmental, social and governance (ESG) frameworks, foster private sector engagement and improve access to finance. The partners also intend to increase investment in industrial research, development and innovation, and to build local skills and institutional capacity.
The two initiatives form part of the broader Team Europe Global Gateway Investment Package announced in October 2025, which is valued at more than 200 billion rand (around €11.6 billion). European Commissioner for International Partnerships Jozef Síkela described the projects as a demonstration of how “Team Europe, together with South Africa, can create the right conditions for private investors to enter high‑potential markets” and deliver solutions that boost sustainable development.
The announcement comes as Brussels prepares to earmark up to €200 billion for Africa under the “Global Europe” budget line from 2028, with a €15 billion crisis reserve under discussion, raising the stakes for converting political commitments into large‑scale, investable transactions.
The projects were launched during the Africa Green Hydrogen Summit, where President Cyril Ramaphosa unveiled the first wave of six priority projects from South Africa’s national green hydrogen program and urged partners to move “swiftly from ideas to gigawatts”.
Among the priority projects are the Coega green ammonia project in the Eastern Cape, the Saldanha hydrogen direct‑reduced iron project, the Prieska Power Reserve, a green methanol corridor targeting European demand, and a green hydrogen solutions project for domestic supply.
