Megatrends Afrika

Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi attends joint session of Ethiopian Parliament in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on December 17, 2025. — © picture alliance / Anadolu | Press Information Bureau (PIB)

Hangwei Li
Raj Verma

Sino-Indian Rivalry: Competition, Collaboration and African Agency

China-India relations have recently stabilized, although rivalry persists, fuelling competition in Africa over economic sectors, resources and narratives. Hangwei Li and Raj Verma examine how African governments can leverage dynamics of competition and convergence to strengthen their agency.

Megatrends spotlight 67, 09.03.2026

Three agencies rate 95 per cent of the world's debt — setting the cost of capital for governments and deciding who gets access to global markets. For African nations, the consequences are profound - as experienced first-hand by Emmanuel Amey-Wemegah, a retired policeman, at the Sogakope branch of Ghana's Commercial Bank in November 2024. A new African credit rating agency is now challenging that monopoly. — © picture alliance / REUTERS | Francis Kokoroko

Benedikt Erforth

Judging One’s Own Credit: Risks and Promises of an African Credit Rating Agency

Faced with high borrowing costs, African leaders and the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) have selected Mauritius to host a continental credit rating agency to reduce dependence on the “Big Three” and counter perceived bias. But will investors trust it?

Megatrends spotlight 66, 05.03.2026

© picture alliance / Anadolu | Fareed Kotb

Enock Kojo Ayesu

Geopolitical Tensions and EU-Southern Mediterranean Shipping

Geopolitical tensions such as political instability, trade disputes, and sanctions reduce maritime connectivity and efficiency. Enock Kojo Ayesu quantifies this impact using the gravity model of trade for routes between EU and Southern Mediterranean countries.

Megatrends Working Paper 22, 18.02.2026, 23 Pages

doi:10.18449/2026MTA-WP22

© picture alliance / Amazing Aerial Agency | Sunday Polycarp

Leverage and Limits: What African Actors Make of the New Multipolarity

Africa is entering a new era of multipolarity, with global powers competing to become key partners to the continent. This study analyses the different facets of multipolarity and how African actors respond to both opportunities and constraints arising from the growing interest of foreign actors.

Megatrends Working Paper 21, 08.10.2025, 48 Pages

doi:10.18449/2025MTA-WP21

© picture alliance / Xinhua News Agency | Xinhua

Godfrey Maringira

The Leadership Succession in Zimbabwe: Military Generals in the Political Arena

Zimbabwe faces contested leadership succession as President Mnangagwa seeks to extend his rule beyond 2028, facing opposition from military elites aligned with Vice President Chiwenga. Godfrey Maringira analyses the military’s political influence on succession, leaving elections largely symbolic.

Megatrends Policy Brief 45, 17.12.2025, 9 Pages

doi:10.18449/2025MTA-PB45

Fellowships 2026: Call for Applications

Megatrends Afrika is awarding three fellowships to post-doctoral researchers from African countries working on Africa-related issues. The Fellowships will be granted for a period of up to three months and take place in either Berlin, Bonn or Kiel. Submit your applications by 25 March 2026.