A year-long campaign to mobilise investments in renewable energy in Africa, led by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, has secured €15.5 billion to power a clean future across the continent, as well as additional commitments in clean energy generation and access for households to electricity. The European Union led the pledging effort, with more than €15.1 billion. This includes a pledge made by President von der Leyen, on behalf of Team Europe, of over €10 billion, as well as significant additional bilateral contributions by European financial institutions, Member States and their Development Finance Institutions, and estimated private investment mobilised.

The campaign, organised in collaboration with the international advocacy organization Global Citizen and with the policy support of the International Energy Agency, was aimed at driving public and private investment in supporting the clean energy transition in Africa, expand access to electricity – and promote Africa’s sustainable economic growth and decarbonised industrialisation. This also represents a step up to accelerate the transition from fossil fuels to clean and sustainable energy globally.

President von der Leyen said: “Today, the world has stepped up for Africa. 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 Team Europe package announced by President von der Leyen includes new Global Gateway projects co-financed with contributions from Germany, France, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain as well as the European Investment Bank (€2.1 billion) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (€740 million). In addition, Italy (€2.4 billion), Germany (over €2 billion), the Netherlands including FMO (€250 million), Portugal (€113 million), Denmark (€81 million), Sweden (€44 million), Austria (€5 million), Ireland (€5 million) made bilateral contributions, worth over €5 billion, while the EBRD announced a separate bilateral investment of over €600 million.

In the context of the campaign, the African Development Bank pledged to allocate at least 20% of the African Development Fund’s 17th replenishment to renewable energy. Norway pledged approximately €53 million through their contribution to the African Development Fund over 2026-2028.