A year-long campaign to mobilise investments in renewable energy across Africa, led by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, has successfully secured €15.5 billion to support a clean energy future on the continent. The campaign also included commitments to expand electricity access for households and to drive sustainable industrial growth.

The European Union led the pledging effort with more than €15.1 billion, including a €10 billion commitment from President von der Leyen on behalf of Team Europe. Additional contributions came from European financial institutions, member states, their development finance institutions, and estimated private investment. Bilateral contributions from Italy (€2.4 billion), Germany (over €2 billion), the Netherlands (€250 million), Portugal (€113 million), Denmark (€81 million), Sweden (€44 million), Austria (€5 million), and Ireland (€5 million) added over €5 billion to the total. The European Investment Bank pledged €2.1 billion, while the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development contributed €740 million, with an additional €600 million in bilateral investments.

The campaign, organised with support from the International Energy Agency and the advocacy organisation Global Citizen, aimed to mobilise both public and private funding to accelerate Africa’s transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy. The commitments are expected to generate 26.8 GW of renewable energy and provide reliable electricity to 17.5 million households currently without access.

“Today, the world has stepped up for Africa,” said President von der Leyen. “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, for businesses, for entire communities. This investment is a surge of opportunity: thriving markets, new jobs, and reliable, clean energy that meets the needs of partners across the globe. President Ramaphosa and I both look forward to a clean-energy future for the continent. A future led by Africa, with strong support from its friend and partner, Europe.”

The €10 billion Team Europe package included new Global Gateway projects co-financed by Germany, France, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain. From the €10 billion, €3.1 billion had been announced earlier in 2025 during the EU-South Africa summit, the Mattei Plan for Africa, the Africa Climate Summit, the UN General Assembly, and the Global Gateway Forum. The remaining €7 billion was announced at the final pledging event in Johannesburg on 21 November.

The African Development Bank also pledged to allocate at least 20% of its 17th replenishment to renewable energy, while Norway committed €53 million over 2026-2028. In addition, Team Europe actors indicated intentions to increase renewable energy investments by €4 billion by 2030.

Launched in November 2024 in Rio de Janeiro, the ‘Scaling up Renewables in Africa’ campaign was designed to secure policy and financial commitments from governments, financial institutions, the private sector, and philanthropists. The effort supports Africa’s sustainable economic growth, decarbonisation of industry, and broader global climate goals, particularly as Africa’s population is expected to double by 2050.

With Africa holding 60% of the world’s best solar resources yet attracting only 2% of global energy investment, the campaign represents a major push to unlock the continent’s renewable energy potential and strengthen long-term EU-Africa partnerships.