Africa is no longer a future market, it is a present-day one. That was the clear message of the 9th German-African Economic Forum NRW in Dortmund, and you can now see it for yourself: the full forum documentary is online, together with the recording of the panel on raw materials, infrastructure and industry that africon CEO Marc Zander moderated.
The forum was held on 3 March 2026 at the IHK Dortmund under the motto “Africa Business: Call to Action!”, bringing together more than 300 senior representatives from business, politics and diplomacy. Organised since 2010 by Auslandsgesellschaft.de and commissioned by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, it has become one of Germany’s most important platforms for economic dialogue with Africa. The official event pages are on the 9th German-African Economic Forum NRW website, and we covered the session in detail in our original report on the forum.
The full documentary of the forum
The complete documentary, produced by Auslandsgesellschaft.de, captures the atmosphere of the day, the keynotes and the discussions across every sector. It is the fastest way to understand why so many German companies now treat Africa as a serious business priority rather than a distant opportunity. The full photo gallery and the individual talks are also available on the official forum website.
The panel africon moderated: raw materials, infrastructure and industry
The session led by Marc Zander took place against a backdrop of growing urgency around raw material supply security. Europe still sources the vast majority of its rare earth magnets from China, a dependency that has come into sharper focus as China restricts export licences for strategically critical materials. The industries affected reach well beyond mining, from automotive and defence to aerospace, AI infrastructure and data centres. Africa holds a significant share of the resources Europe needs to diversify these supply chains.
Four practitioners with deep operational experience across Africa’s raw materials and infrastructure landscape shared their views: Leandro Fernandez (CEO of INZAG Germany GmbH), Sandy Bolte (Senior Manager Sustainable & International Trade Finance at Project Materials GmbH), Martin Selig (CEO of FRENELL GmbH) and Mirko Liebetrau (Managing Director of ISEBAR, Agentur für Rohstoffe und Nachhaltigkeit GmbH).
3 key takeaways for German companies
For readers who want the practical conclusions before watching, three points from the discussion stood out. The full reasoning behind each one is in our detailed report on the panel.
1. Local presence is not optional
German companies need a presence on the ground in Africa, whether through their own offices or reliable local partners. Deals are built on proximity and trust.
2. Infrastructure projects are won at two levels
Projects are decided locally, with the decision-makers on the ground, and globally, where the final call is often taken. Companies need to map the full decision-making chain from the local level upwards.
3. German suppliers are competitive
China has a strong presence across the continent, but German suppliers can hold their own on price in local markets. Quality and reliability remain a real advantage.
Build your Africa strategy with africon
Whether your focus is raw materials, infrastructure or industrial value chains, africon’s team on the ground, combined with a strong network of local companies and ministries, can reduce the time, cost and risk of your growth strategy in Africa. If you would like a confidential conversation about your potential on the continent, write to us at info@africon.de.
africon extends sincere thanks to Auslandsgesellschaft.de for hosting such a productive and forward-looking event, and looks forward to continuing this dialogue in support of stronger German-African collaboration.