Embassy of Denmark in South Africa

Denmark and South Africa share a longstanding partnership in renewable energy 💡🌬☀ Yesterday, we had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Velenkosini Hlabisa, Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) and Zandile Majozi House Chairperson of the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), along with Jan Oberholzer, Chairman of Mulilo, to discuss South Africa’s energy challenges and infrastructure opportunities 💡🗝 In 2023, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), the largest Danish investor in South Africa, made a significant investment in Mulilo Energy Holding, the largest South African renewable energy developer 💥🌱 This partnership exemplifies the potential of Danish expertise and investments in assisting with South Africa’s green transition and securing a sustainable energy future♻ We already now see the direct results of CIP´s investments creating green energy, growth and local impact in communities around South Africa. For over a decade, Denmark and South Africa have also collaborated through a Strategic Sector Cooperation program on energy, focusing on wind energy and integrating renewables into South Africa’s energy grid 🌬⚡ The meeting reaffirmed our shared commitment to strengthening our energy collaboration and partnership within South Africa’s energy landscape 🗺 🙏 Thank you to all partners involved!

Human Rights meeting 🇿🇦🤝🇩🇰   This week, we had the pleasure engaging in a fruitful meeting on human rights with great colleagues from Department of International Relations and Cooperation.   Rasmus Bøgh Johansen and Hélène Fester from the Danish Human Rights Unit in Copenhagen joined us for a meaningful dialogue on how we can promote human rights internationally 🌍   The meeting provided a valuable platform to exchange perspectives on human rights, share our countries’ priorities, and deepen our understanding of current challenges globally 🕯

🎊MoU signing ceromoni 19-11-2024🎊 This week Elsebeth Søndergaard Krone, Ambassador of Denmark, and Anneline Morgan, Chief Director Department for Science, Technology and Innovation, signed a renewed Memorandum of Understanding between Denmark and South Africa for research and innovation collaboration 🔮🔎 The new MoU will underpin possible future activities such as an expanded Masters programme collaboration as part of the Danish Government’s new Africa Strategy as well as the activities of an upcoming regional Innovation Center in Kenya which will also cover South Africa 🏢 The MoU further covers the unique research and innovation component included in the ongoing strategic sector cooperation in the water sector between the Department of Water and Sanitation, the Danish Environment Protection Agency and the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs ✍ The partners are looking forward to furthering this fruitful collaboration!

𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚’𝐬 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬💦   Busy days for the South African and Danish enhanced partnership in the water sector!   💡💧 On Monday, 18 November, the Danish Ambassador and team held a fruitful meeting with Department of Water and Sanitation Director-General Sean Phillips and his team to discuss priorities for the new 🇿🇦 🇩🇰 “Climate Resilient Urban Water Supply” programme. With an expected budget of DKK 300 million or approx. R770 million for 2025-2029, the programme will support South Africa’s water reform by focusing on the efficient management and use of scarce water resources. 💡💧 On 19 November, an important Steering Committee meeting took place as the national water strategic sector cooperation between 🇿🇦 and 🇩🇰 enters a crucial year of implementation phase.   DWS Deputy Director-General Lindiwe Lusenga and Deputy Director-General Dr. Risimati Mathye (PhD Civil Eng. IWRM) Pr Tech Eng. MSAICE, co-chair Jesper Hannibalsen from the Danish Environmental Protection Agency, and Ambassador Elsebeth Søndergaard Krone provided valuable strategic guidance. To maintain a strong focus on delivering high-impact results for the water sector, the Steering Committee approved an updated results framework. Key results to follow include: 📜 Preparation of a new regulation on groundwater and water resource management. 🎓 Development of a brand-new education programme for South African borehole drillers. Thank you to everyone involved - we are excited to continue this important work together!

"11 ud af de 20 hurtigst voksende økonomier ligger i Afrika. Derfor er det vigtigt at påvirke udviklingen i 'en grønnere retning'" 🌱 Det gør vi igennem de danske sektorsamarbejder, påstår jeg i gårsdagens artikel i Mandag Morgen som omhandler Danmarks rolle i den kommende tids klimamøder under COP29 og G20. Som energirådgiver i Sydafrika arbejder jeg - sammen med gode kollegaer fra Embassy of Denmark in South Africa og i Danish Energy Agency på netop at gøre danske erfaringer på energiområdet relevante for Sydafrika☀️🌬️ DK kan som et lille land kun bidrage til at Sydafrika vælger den grønnere retning gennem et godt samarbejde, hvor vi gør os umage for at lytte og forstå udfordringerne ved den grønne omstilling her, så vi kan give relevante input. Netop det er kernen i energisamarbejdet mellem Energistyrelsen og sydafrikanske partnerinstitutioner, hvor vi arbejder med at skabe de langsigtede rammevilkår, som kan bidrage til mere tryghed, hvis man er investor eller teknologileverandør. 💬 “Et af hensynene fra sydafrikansk side er, at der tænkes jobs og beskæftigelse ind i omstillingen på grund af den høje arbejdsløshed, og fordi man er bange for, at den grønne omstilling vil koste jobs i kulminesektoren."

How do we ensure and enhance a risk based food safety system in South Africa? ✔ 🥇 That’s the goal of the partnership between South Africa’s Department of Health, Department of Agriculture, and Fødevarestyrelsen.   A key component in this is, to have all food businesses registered at the relevant authorities and to conduct inspections in a risk based manner, so that the resources used for inspection delivers the best result possible in terms of safe food. A few weeks ago, representatives from both countries came together for a week of workshops and presentations to address challenges in registration of food businesses and inspection data, and how to make sure the relevant data is present to help the inspection system to be more risk based 🔍   Together, we explored how a central registration system for food businesses in South Africa could be developed, drawing on Danish expertise and insights gathered about the South African context.   Key questions addressed included: 💡 Which food businesses should register? 💡 Where to register? 💡 What to register?   In December, our South African partners and the full team will reconvene to continue advancing this important work. Here we will focus in more detail on which information should be registered about different food businesses in order to be able to plan and conduct inspection risk based, and use the data in relation to food safety management of concrete issues.   Watch the video to learn more about the collaboration and the goals we aim to achieve 🎬

A new milestone in the South-African - Danish energy collaboration💡 For the first time ever, Forsyningstilsynet - Danish Utility Regulator visited South Africa to attend a meeting together with the Danish Energy Agency (DEA) and the National Energy Regulator of South Africa NERSA - RSA to initiate the tri-party cooperation as a new element to the 🇿🇦-🇩🇰 Energy Partnership Program. The goal of the week was to gather input, scope and plan the work of the two energy regulator’s partnership. And the sharing of experiences between the regulators was indeed fruitful from the very first day. It sets the scene for a future cooperation which can support and bring new experiences to both NERSA and DUR within implementation of the ERA and a number of specific identified regulatory tasks🤝 💬 “An energy regulator will never reach an end state - there will always be new developments to adapt to, whether you are an energy regulator in South Africa or in Denmark" said Bue Tidemann from DEA on the first day of the workshop. ➡️Exactly therefore is it essential to continuously share experiences - both good and bad - among energy regulators across borders. 🤓👩💻 Energy regulators plays a big role in overseeing the electricity market, ensure confidence in the market and protect the interest of the consumers. Balancing this is not an easy task, but NERSA is building the capacity and has the mandate.

How does climate change affect the right to food in Southern Africa? 🍽 🌍   Last Friday, we supported an inspiring Human Rights Forum. The forum was hosted by the Mexican Embassy 🇲🇽 to discuss how El Niño and climate change are impacting food security across the region. With insightful speakers and a lively panel, we explored the urgent need to address the challenges posed by extreme weather and climate variability—and what they mean for communities' fundamental right to food. The forum provided a platform for different perspectives on this complex issue, bringing together voices including diplomatic representatives, human rights experts, researchers, and leaders from international organisations and NGOs 💡   We extend our sincere thanks to the Embassies of Mexico, the Netherlands, and Switzerland for organising this essential event together, and to all speakers and participants for their valuable contributions 😌

How can AI be used to set water prices in South Africa? 👩💻💦   This was the question that students from all over the world tackled at this year's Next Generation event—a global youth initiative hosted at the Digital Tech Summit in Copenhagen last week.   Since 2016, a government-to-government collaboration between South Africa and Denmark, led by Miljøstyrelsen and supported by the Embassy in Pretoria, has fostered such cross-national initiatives. Through this collaboration, we facilitated South African participation in DTU Skylab’s Next Generation Digital Action programme for young talents in innovation and entrepreneurship 🌌 Here, they were presented with the challenge: 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘯𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘣𝘦 𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘤 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵? — a goal closely aligned with the Danish Embassy’s sector cooperation efforts.   💡 Next Generation [ ] Action is a global initiative empowering youth to drive sustainable solutions. The involvement of youth from South Africa, Kenya, Ghana, and Tanzania also aligns well with Denmark's Africa Strategy, which emphasizes deeper engagement across the continent.   An exciting win 🏆: One of the South African teams won first place for their innovative solution to the Indian challenge on "Data-driven water security and safety" —a fun twist, as last year’s Indian team took the top spot in the South African challenge! ... South Africa also took home the award for "Best Start-up Pitch"! 🌟

🌆🌍 Today at the Embassy, we celebrate #WorldCitiesDay2024. This year’s theme calls on youth and local governments to unite against the climate crisis. We spoke with Akhona Xotyeni, our Sustainable Cities Programme Officer and the Embassy’s first Youth Advisor, about her experiences as a young resident working and living in two major cities, and how her commitment to combating climate change shapes her work at the Embassy to create sustainable urban futures, particularly in water management🌊 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲-𝐭𝐨-𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐞? The programme is a city-to-city framework, in which the two cities of Tshwane and Aarhus cooperate in the formulation, design, and implementation of a series of initiatives targeted at improving the service delivery of Tshwane's water sector. South African cities face significant water challenges, whereas water management is one of the strengths of Danish cities. That’s why we’re fostering partnerships to support knowledge transfer, capacity building, and peer-to-peer learning between our cities. For instance, the City of Tshwane reports about 40% non-revenue water, with 26% lost due to leaks and maintenance issues. In contrast, Aarhus maintains a rate of just 3-5%. Did you know?🧐 • 68% of South Africans live in cities and the number is rising • City of Tshwane covers the size of Zealand. #SustainableCities #CityofTshwane #watermanagement