Latest News

German Agriculture Minister Aigner visits South Africa, Ethiopia

Thu, 16 May 2013 05:16:48 GMT

German Agriculture Minister Ilse Aigner visited South Africa and Ethiopia from May 5-11, 2013. Alongside political discussions with ministerial colleagues, the trip focused on the Ministry's active commitment to improving food security in important African regions. On the occassion of her visit, an opinion piece of Minister Aigner was published in the South African Farmer's Weekly.

Visa Information System (VIS)

Tue, 14 May 2013 14:03:41 GMT

Beginning June 6, 2013, the German Embassy in Pretoria and the German Consulate General in Cape Town will start working with the Visa Information System (VIS). ALL APPLICANTS MUST APPLY IN PERSON, so that the necessary biometric data – ten fingerprints – can be collected.

Taxi Poetry on Joburg's roads

Mon, 13 May 2013 13:52:17 GMT

Johannesburg's mini-bus taxis will show a new face these days. In cooperation with the German Goethe Institute the project Taxi Poetry is providing magnetic stickers to 'tune' taxis in a different way. On May 12 Taxi Poetry kicked-off with a Show and Shine event in Thokoza Park with music, braai and poetry.

Workshop on Data Integration Techniques Applied to Earth Science Data

Mon, 13 May 2013 12:24:08 GMT

Under the umbrella of the German-South African Year of Science (YoS) 2012/2013, a workshop on data integration technologies for Earth system modeling and resource management was held in Pretoria on April 23, 2013. The workshop was organized by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Council for Geoscience and followed another YoS workshop held in November last year at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research in Leipzig, Germany. All together well over sixty participants used the opportunity to network and exchange ideas.

Europawärts volunteer from South Africa begins work in Dresden

Mon, 13 May 2013 12:08:44 GMT

One of the six Europawärts volunteers who headed to Germany in January, has started his work at Aids-Hilfe in Dresden. His first blog to the community reflects the indomitable, positive spirit he brings to his work.

Europawärts volunteers visit Berlin

Mon, 13 May 2013 08:46:28 GMT

‘Against oblivion’ reads the inscription of a memorial site in Berlin devoted to those who died from AIDS and AIDS-related diseases. It reminds the visitor of the fact that the infection is real and that everybody, independent of sexual orientation, religion or ethnic belonging is at risk of being infected.The six Europawärts volunteers visited the memorial site during a four-day journey to Germany’s capital, Berlin – a city that made a permanent impression on the youths.

Regional conference on the closer dovetailing of external economic promotion and development cooperation

Fri, 10 May 2013 08:58:31 GMT

The interests of private businesses and development cooperation complement one another. With a view to consolidating existing cooperation arrangements and identifying future fields of action, some 80 representatives of the business community and development cooperation met on 26 and 27 April 2013 in Accra, Ghana.

German Embassy Delegation visits NGO´s in Lesotho

Mon, 06 May 2013 10:57:20 GMT

A small delegation from the German Embassy visited Lesotho from the 12th-14th of March. Meeting with NGO´s that have been supported through the German Embassies microfunding was one of the key purposes of this visit. Additionally potential future beneficiaries were consulted to get a clearer picture of where Germany could offer support to other NGO´s.

German Embassy in Pretoria supports „Ububele Educational & Psychotherapy Trust“

Mon, 06 May 2013 10:46:56 GMT

The German Embassy in Pretoria supports the expansion of Ububele with approx R 264.000,- Founded as an NGO in 2000, the Ububele Educational &Psychotherapy Trust, with financial support of Anthony Steven and Hillary Hamburger, is based in an old Warehouse in Alexandra, a township close to Johannesburg. Up to date the Warehouse accommodates a cresh, training and therapy facilities as well as offices.

Article by German Agriculture Minister Ilse Aigner

Mon, 06 May 2013 08:42:26 GMT

Hope, confidence, new beginnings – these fundamental concepts have shaped my perceptions of South Africa ever since Nelson Mandela and Frederik de Klerk were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their reconciliation work 20 years ago. And these concepts of hope, confidence and new beginnings continue to shape my perceptions of South Africa today – largely due to the potential within South African agriculture.

Bhekisisa will take a close look into health issues

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 13:26:15 GMT

A Zulu who wants to be thoroughly examined might ask his doctor to ‘bhekisisa’ him. ‘Taking a close look’ is exactly what the Mail & Guardian (M&G)’s Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism is supposed to do.

German Foreign Minister visits South Africa

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 11:11:29 GMT

Germany's Foreign Minister has visited South Africa, the political and economic heavyweight on the continent. It is Africa’s largest economy, present among the BRICS states and a member of the G20, yet a country still struggling with major social injustice twenty years after the end of apartheid. Minister Westerwelle is on his fifth visit to southern Africa, acknowledging the economic and political progress the continent has made in recent years.

Online resource for professionals interested in working in Germany

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 09:26:00 GMT

Would you like to work in Germany? It might be easier than you think. The Qualified Professionals Initiative has created the "Welcome to Germany" Portal to show qualified professionals from other countries the way to Germany – and what makes it worthwhile to live and work there.

Hans-Jürgen Beerfeltz and Charlize Theron join forces in fighting HIV and AIDS in South Africa

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 09:25:51 GMT

On February 9, Hans-Jürgen Beerfeltz, State Secretary in the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, met Oscar-winning film star Charlize Theron and agreed upon arrangements for joint projects to combat HIV and AIDS in South Africa. For this purpose they signed a joint Letter of Intent together with the Cinema for Peace Foundation.

Soweto: Eleven Languages, Plus One More

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 14:08:28 GMT

Goethe in Soweto: German is now being taught in the best-known former township near Johannesburg – and on the very spot where the protests against the language policies of the South African apartheid regime began.

German South African Research Lecture Series on Energy Sciences

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 10:54:51 GMT

The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) hosted its German South African Research Lecture Series on Energy Sciences during March and April at seven different South African universities. This year’s events form part of an array of DAAD initiatives within the German South African Year of Science 2012/2013. The series wraps up on April 17, 2013 in Cape Town and on April 23, 2013 in Port Elizabeth.

German-South African Year of Science culminates in Berlin

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 10:54:28 GMT

The highly-successful “German-South African Year of Science 2012/2013” concluded on April 16, 2013 in Berlin. German Education Minister, Johanna Wanka, and her South African counterpart Minister Derek Hanekom hosted the final event honouring this year of special activities on the day.

1.6 kg of asparagus

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 08:07:33 GMT

On average, each German consumes 1.6 kg of asparagus per year. In the 2011-12 financial year, there were in total 127,000 tons of asparagus consumed by Germans – about 4 percent more than in the previous year.

The legacy of the Year of Science: Strengthening the existing research relationship

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 13:52:50 GMT

The South African Minister of Science and Technology Derek Hanekom met with the President of the Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences, Professor Reinhard Huttl. The visit took place just before the closing event of the German-South African Year of Science on April 16, 2013. It promised strong collaboration over the coming years, a credit to the long-term benefits of this special year of events.

Electrical power distribution wires as a viable communication channel

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 11:27:03 GMT

The International Symposium on Power Line Communications, ISPLC and its Applications was held at The School of Tourism and Hospitality, University Of Johannesburg, from March 24 – 27, 2013 as part of the activities of the German–South African Year of Science 2012-2013.