Cyril Ramaphosa, President of South Africa, has signed a historic settlement on minerals and inexperienced vitality with the European Union in a trilateral assembly forward of the G20 summit.
South Africa has signed a memorandum of settlement with the European Union to spearhead inexperienced vitality and course of vital minerals. Throughout a trilateral assembly held in Sandton, Johannesburg, Ramaphosa emphasised that the 2 entities have agreed to cooperate in vital minerals and inexperienced vitality by way of an unprecedented Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
South Africa indicators an MoU with the EU to advance mining, pharmacy, and inexperienced vitality
European Union-South Africa Partnership#G20SouthAfrica https://t.co/LkMKAecnL3
— Cyril Ramaphosa 🇿🇦 (@CyrilRamaphosa) November 20, 2025
President Ramaphosa met with Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Fee, and António Costa, President of the European Council, on the summit. He asserted that shared targets, belief, and reliability fueled the present and deepening partnership between South Africa and the EU. Moreover, he introduced that South Africa has prioritized the transition to inexperienced vitality to safeguard the livelihoods of these affected by the transition.
South Africa and the EU will collectively extract and course of the minerals on the level of extraction. The settlement will thus enable his nation to course of the minerals domestically and assist native employment. Ramaphosa mentioned that the understanding would assist South Africa transfer up the worth chain of beneficiation within the inexperienced vitality and significant mineral sectors. The information comes after Cryptopolitan reported that South Africa’s illicit gold community was booming.
The President defined that the 2 commerce agreements would strengthen the commerce and funding ties between the African nation and the EU. He additionally talked about that the settlement will lay the muse for regulatory cooperation and identification of strategic initiatives in clear know-how, inexperienced hydrogen, and significant minerals.
Ramaphosa emphasised that the settlement particulars the assist for inexperienced infrastructure, native manufacturing of vaccines, and pharmaceutical provide chains. He talked about that South Africa and the EU have efficiently established and finalized a clear commerce and funding partnership. The deal comes because the European Union implements diversification methods for its provides, shifting away from monopolized sources which have induced disruptions.
EU proclaims a €750 million financing bundle for South Africa
At this time, we’re signing the first-ever Clear Commerce and Funding Partnership.
It’s a brand new technology of commerce settlement – and a blueprint for future ones.
We additionally step up cooperation on vital uncooked supplies in ways in which profit us each ↓ https://t.co/hGGWU8X0fa
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) November 20, 2025
European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen commented on the settlement, stating that the EU is planning to speculate €350 million to enhance the transport and vitality infrastructure within the African nation. She added that the funding is a part of Transnet’s decarbonisation technique beneath the Simply Vitality Transition Partnership. She additionally acknowledged that the settlement was the primary of its form signed by the European Union.
She additionally defined that the EU will make investments €330 million in a financing bundle for vital uncooked supplies, clear hydrogen, and electrical batteries. She additionally introduced that the EU will make investments €70 million in South Africa’s pharmaceutical trade for vaccine manufacturing.
The European Fee President defined that each Europe and South Africa want the inputs to energy the inexperienced vitality transition. She defined that the way forward for the 2 economies depends on a good and dependable provide chain. She additionally mentioned that the partnership will assist South Africa broaden its strategic trade.
Each side defended multilateralism. The deal comes amid uncertainty over U.S. engagement in world boards. The deal additionally alerts an intent to uphold collaborative, rules-based programs.
The information follows the EU’s announcement of its intention to determine a centralized authority accountable for growing and sustaining a list of vital minerals. The EU’s government VP for industrial technique, Stéphane Séjourné, claimed that the plans are meant to keep away from the USA monopolizing the world’s vital minerals.
The VP informed the Monetary Occasions that the EU had change into “collateral injury” within the commerce wars between the U.S. and China. The assembly additionally precedes the G20 summit, which can be held in South Africa, marking the primary time an African nation has hosted the G20.
