Deutsche Afrika Stiftung / German Africa Foundation

What Deutsche Afrika Stiftung / German Africa Foundation does

The Deutsche Afrika Stiftung e.V. (DAS), doing business as the German Africa Foundation, is a non-partisan policy foundation registered in Berlin (Charlottenburg, Vereinsregister VR20203B) on May 10, 1978, and integrated into the institutional funding of the German Federal Foreign Office (Auswärtiges Amt) the same year. Its functional mandate is to facilitate exchange between German and African actors, with a particular focus on the parliamentary arena, through expert discussions, parliamentary breakfasts, panel discussions, and roundtables that bring together members of the German Bundestag, federal ministries, and political decision-makers from Germany and Africa. The foundation also convenes the African diplomatic corps in Germany and runs the WIDU.africa diaspora affairs program.

The foundation's product surface comprises recognition programs (the Deutscher Afrika-Preis since 1993 and the Ehrenpreis since 2019), a weekly Press Review (Pressespiegel) distributed via MailChimp, the Afrika-Infoportal (an online knowledge archive and institution database covering 63 organizations including 27 African Union organs and agencies), the DAS Podcast launched in 2026, periodic Afrikapost Aktuell policy analyses, and recurring live parliamentary events. There is no proprietary technology platform — the technology footprint consists of standard SaaS tools (Matomo for analytics, MailChimp for newsletters, PayPal for donations, Zoom for video conferencing, Borlabs Cookie for consent management, and standard social media embeds).

Revenue is not commercially generated; the foundation is institutionally funded by the German Federal Foreign Office since 1978, supplemented by donations (PayPal and bank transfer), and explicitly states it does not sell products or services and does not accept third-party project funding. The small operational team includes a Secretary General (Sabine Odhiambo since 2022), Communications and Regional Desk staff, Finance and Administration, and project assistants — all overseen by a multi-party board of current and former Bundestag members and an advisory board (Kuratorium) comprising former ambassadors, KfW Development Bank executives, GIGA leadership, and former GIZ and SWP senior figures.

Name

Deutsche Afrika Stiftung / German Africa Foundation

Legal name

Deutsche Afrika Stiftung e.V.

Website

https://deutsche-afrika-stiftung.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Deutsche Afrika Stiftung e.V. (German Africa Foundation) is a Berlin-based, non-partisan policy foundation founded in 1978 and institutionally funded by the German Federal Foreign Office that facilitates parliamentary, diplomatic, and public exchange between German and African actors through events, awards, podcasts, and weekly press review.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Policy Foundation / International Relations Dialogue

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

Civil Society Strengthening & Civic Space (BPADAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Multilateral Diplomacy & International Representation (UN, Regional Bodies) (BPAIAIAC)

Keywords

• Policy foundation services
• German-african relations
• Parliamentary dialogue facilitation
• Africa policy events
• Policy analysis publications

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Institutional Funding: The foundation receives institutional funding from the German Federal Foreign Office (Auswärtiges Amt), which has supported the foundation since 1978. This is the primary source of operational funding.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Deutsche Afrika Stiftung is a non-partisan policy foundation that convenes German and African political actors through parliamentary events (expert discussions, parliamentary breakfasts, panel discussions). It publishes policy analyses, a weekly press review, and a knowledge portal, and confers the annual German Africa Award and Honorary Award to recognize outstanding contributions to German-African relations.

Product overview

The Deutsche Afrika Stiftung (DAS) / German Africa Foundation is a non-partisan policy foundation offering a portfolio of products centered on fostering exchange between German and African actors, with a particular focus on the parliamentary arena. The core offerings include the annual Deutscher Afrika-Preis (German Africa Award) and the Ehrenpreis (Honorary Award) as flagship recognition programs; the weekly Press Review (Pressespiegel) newsletter distributed via MailChimp; the Africa Info Hub (Afrika-Infoportal) containing knowledge archives, a press review archive, and an institution database covering 63 organizations in the German-African context; the DAS Podcast series (DAS Podcast – Afrikapolitik. Analysen. Aspekte.) providing audio discussions on African policy topics; periodic Afrikapost Aktuell expert publications; and live parliamentary events including expert discussions, parliamentary breakfasts, and panel discussions. The foundation does not offer a technology platform or SaaS product, but rather serves as a convening, publishing, and policy dialogue organization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Deutscher Afrika-Preis: German Africa Prize awarded since 1993 to personalities from the African continent who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to democracy, peace, human rights, sustainable development, environmental protection, scientific research, art and culture, or societal interests in Africa.
• Ehrenpreis der Deutschen Afrika Stiftung
• DAS Podcast – Afrikapolitik. Analysen. Aspekte.
• Afrika-Infoportal

Products and services

• Deutscher Afrika-Preis (German Africa Award) Annual award presented since 1993 to outstanding personalities from the African continent who have shown exceptional commitment to democracy, peace, human rights, sustainable development, environmental protection, scientific research, art and culture, or societal interests in Africa. The award draws public attention to new developments on the continent and aims to contribute to a differentiated image of Africa.
• Ehrenpreis (Honorary Award) Annual honorary award introduced in 2019 that recognizes German and African personalities who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to a differentiated image of Africa and to cultural exchange between Germany and the African continent. Recipients are selected by the foundation's board.
• DAS Podcast – Afrikapolitik. Analysen. Aspekte. Podcast series produced by the German Africa Foundation featuring conversations with policymakers, experts, and public figures on African policy topics. Episodes cover development policy, social media's role in Africa discourse, and other timely geopolitical and societal issues relevant to German-African relations.
• Press Review (Pressespiegel) Weekly published compilation of current press articles on political developments across the African continent. The press review aggregates German-language online media coverage as well as selected English and French-language sources on Africa, distributed via MailChimp newsletter to subscribers.
• Afrika-Infoportal (Africa Info Hub) Online information portal providing knowledge archives, a press review archive, and an institution database covering African policy-relevant topics, programs, agreements, academic articles, and 63 active institutions in the German-African context including African think tanks, German research institutions, university departments of African studies, and business associations active on the continent.
• Parliamentary Events (Expert Discussions, Parliamentary Breakfasts, Panel Discussions) Expert discussions, parliamentary breakfasts, and panel discussions organized by the foundation that bring together members of the German Bundestag, federal ministries, and other political decision-makers from Germany and Africa. Events include roundtables with African heads of state and foreign ministers, parliamentary breakfasts with African government representatives, and civil society dialogues on peace, security, and cooperation topics.
• Afrikapost Aktuell Policy analysis publications providing expert commentary and recommendations on current African policy topics. Published periodically in partnership with African experts, covering geopolitical, economic, energy, and security themes.

Quantifiable outcome

• Annual German Africa Award ceremony with ~200 guests from politics, economy, and society; presented by senior German politicians including Chancellor, Foreign Minister
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Heinrich-Böll-StiftungcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organized Sudan peace conference in April 2026 together with multiple foundations including Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, Amnesty International, and others
• Friedrich-Ebert-StiftungcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organized Sudan peace conference in April 2026 together with multiple foundations
• Konrad-Adenauer-StiftungcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organized roundtables including Kenya-Germany partnership discussion in May 2026
• Deutsche WellemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner for German Africa Award ceremony, providing coverage and visibility across African continent
• SAFRI (Initiative Wirtschaft Deutschlands für Subsahara-Afrika)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizes annual reception for African diplomatic corps
• German African Chamber of Commerce (DIHK)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoard member representation from DIHK ensures business community perspective in foundation work

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES): SPD-affiliated political foundation with global offices and a strong Africa portfolio. Directly comparable to DAS in operating model (non-partisan convening, multi-party dialogue, parliamentary events), and an active co-organizer with DAS on the Sudan peace conference and other Africa-policy events.
• Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung: Bündnis 90/Die Grünen-affiliated political foundation with extensive Africa programming. Same operating model as DAS (political foundation, international dialogue, parliamentary engagement), and a listed co-organizer of the Sudan peace conference alongside DAS.
• Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung: Die Linke-affiliated political foundation with a global Africa and policy-dialogue footprint. Mirrors DAS in operating model — politically-rooted but programmatically non-partisan, with international dialogue, parliamentary convening, and policy publication as core offerings.
• Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung für die Freiheit: FDP-affiliated political foundation with international programs including Africa. Operates a similar model of non-partisan convening and parliamentary engagement across Germany and partner regions, making it a direct structural peer to DAS.
• Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS): Germany's largest political foundation affiliated with the CDU/CSU. Closest direct peer — both are non-partisan German political foundations focused on international dialogue, parliamentary programming, and convening across political and civil society lines. DAS has explicitly co-organized roundtables with KAS (e.g., Kenya-Germany partnership, May 2026).
• Hanns-Seidel-Stiftung: CSU-affiliated political foundation with international development and Africa programs. Same structural family as DAS — German political foundation, government-funded, parliamentary-oriented convening role, with policy dialogue and conferences as core products.

Broad incumbents

• German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF): Transatlantic policy think tank with transatlantic convening on European and global affairs. A broader incumbent in the international-affairs dialogue space — comparable in mission (German/European engagement with international partners) but bigger and US-anchored.
• Körber-Stiftung: Large Hamburg-based private foundation with international dialogue programs. Operates in the same space of German-international affairs convening and policy events, but with a broader thematic portfolio than DAS's Africa focus.
• Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP) / German Institute for International and Security Affairs: Germany's leading foreign-policy think tank advising the Bundestag and federal government. Functions as a broader incumbent in the same German international-affairs ecosystem as DAS, with current/past DAS advisory board members (e.g., Dr. Stefan Mair) coming from SWP leadership.

Emerging players

• European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR): Pan-European foreign-policy think tank with active Africa and Germany programs. Emerging think-tank peer in the European international-relations space, conducting policy analysis and convening on EU-Africa relations that intersects with DAS's portfolio.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/_DASonline
• Facebookfacebook.com/DeutscheAfrikaStiftung
• Instagraminstagram.com/DeutscheAfrikaStiftung
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/deutsche-afrika-stiftung-german-africa-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Deutsche Afrika Stiftung / German Africa Foundation