In June, we had the honor of participating in the 1st North German Africa Business Conference in Hanover—organized by the North German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (IHK).
It was a day full of inspiring conversations, new partnerships, and forward-looking ideas.
The central message was clear:
We can no longer afford to ignore the African continent.
Africa is not just a continent of the future—it is a strategically important partner for Germany’s SME sector and a global driver of innovation. Anyone thinking about sustainable business today must include Africa in their entrepreneurial vision.
Only 1% of German investments go to Africa – that must change.
In his powerful keynote, Thomas Schäfer, Chair of SAFRI (Sub-Saharan Africa Initiative of German Business), made the urgency crystal clear:
Only around 1% of German foreign investments currently flow into Africa—even though by 2050, one in four people globally is expected to live on the African continent.
This is exactly where our work at fair equity begins.
We see Africa as a key pillar for globally sustainable economic development—and as a market with enormous, often untapped, potential.
Rethinking financing: Opportunities for SMEs
As part of the panel discussion “Financing & Support for Business Engagements in Africa,” our colleague Caroline Flohr joined experts from business, finance, and politics to explore practical solutions for German SMEs entering African markets.
Our core message:
The investment gap must be closed—and there are viable alternatives to traditional development cooperation.
Instead of short-term, project-based aid, we need long-term capital flows that:
-
create jobs,
-
promote ecomic growth, and
-
enable entrepreneurial activity on the ground.
Agriculture as a growth engine
A personal highlight was the panel on agricultural development, featuring among others Philipp Grimme, CEO of GRIMME.
He compellingly demonstrated Africa’s vast potential in agriculture:
In some regions, multiple harvests per year are possible—such as with potatoes—whereas in Germany, usually only one is feasible.
But to fully unlock this potential, targeted investments are needed, including:
-
reliable cold chains and logistics,
-
high-quality seeds and farming supplies
-
modern irrigation and cultivation systems.
fair equity: Investing in sustainable impact
As a philanthropic investor, fair equity specifically seeks scalable business models that address these very gaps—with a focus on:
-
building local capacity,
-
sustainable value creation, and
-
long-term socio-economic impact for broad segments of the population.
Thank you for a successful conference
Our special thanks go to the IHKs, Germany Trade & Invest, and all participants for the excellent organization of this forward-looking conference.
