South Africa agrees new climate loan, critical minerals cooperation on Germany visit

Germany has agreed to give South Africa ‌a new 200 million euro ($234 million) concessional climate loan, and the two countries will deepen cooperation in ​other areas like critical minerals, South Africa’s ​foreign minister said on Monday.

The loan will ⁠support investment in South Africa’s power grid ​and renewable energy capacity, Minister Ronald Lamola said ​after talks with German counterpart Johann Wadephul in Berlin.

He said German and European Union funding for green hydrogen and ​battery value chain cooperation had also been ​extended by more than 270 million euros.

Lamola thanked Wadephul ‌for ⁠German support despite South Africa’s strained relationship with the United States during President Donald Trump’s second term in office.

Trump has excluded South Africa from meetings ​of the ​Group of ⁠20 nations this year and criticised its foreign policy and domestic ​race laws. He boycotted a G20 summit in ​Johannesburg ⁠in November.

Lamola said: “We feel we are part of it (the G20) because of the support that we ⁠have ​received from Germany and from ​other G20 members.”

($1 = 0.8547 euros)