In August of this year, Chancellor Angela Merkel visited Senegal, Ghana and Nigeria along with an economic delegation with the aim of developing partnerships with West Africa. In addition to combating the causes of flight, it was also important to improve economic relations. Almost at the same time, British Prime Minister Theresa May visited the African continent, carrying a 4 billion pound investment programme for Africa.

Despite the current interest in Africa and the many initiatives of the various ministries tailored to Africa - Marshall Plan with Africa from the Ministry of Development, the Initiative for Africa from the Ministry of Economics or Compacts for Africa from the Ministry of Finance – Germany's economic interest in Africa is low: German companies do not invest much in Africa, nor is the trade integration pronounced.

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As the chart shows, Germany's exports to Africa have certainly increased over time. Since about 2003, exports to North Africa in particular, but also to southern Africa, have risen sharply. However, the middle belt of West, Central and East Africa remained largely unaffected by the dynamisation of trade development. However, the dynamisation was not accompanied by an increase in share; exports to Africa remained at a constantly low 2 %.

If the two most voluminous trading regions – southern Africa and North Africa – are divided between their countries, it becomes clear that exports to North Africa are relatively evenly distributed between the individual countries. In contrast, trade with the southern part of Africa is almost exclusively concentrated in South Africa.

More details on Germany's export relationship with the African continent can be found in the short message 2018/02.

Other figures can be found here.