Embassy of Denmark in South Africa

🌍 Collaborative solutions are needed for a shared future 🌍   Last week, the Royal Danish Embassy and the Danish Environmental Protection Agency (DEPA) had the honour of hosting a high-level delegation from South Africa in Denmark lead by Deputy Minister for Water and Sanitation, Mr. Mahlobo David.   In high-level meetings with Minister for Environment, Mr. Magnus Heunicke, and Deputy State-Secretary for Development Policy, Mr. Ole Thonke, the focus was on bilateral relations and the strong partnership in the water sector at national as well as metro level. The political meetings were combined with site visits to the Greater Copenhagen Utility HOFOR, and to “Lynetten”, Denmark’s largest wastewater treatment plant ♻   Deputy Minister Mahlobo was preceded in Denmark by a technical team who met with Danish institutions and experts with a focus on models for efficient water provision and economic regulation as part of ongoing water reform work in South Africa. South Africa is a water scarce country with renewable freshwater resources of less than 1 000 m3 per person per year. At the same time, performance of a large number of water service providers is declining and national average non-revenue water has reached 47% 💧   🇩🇰🇿🇦 South African and Danish experts engaged in fruitful site visits and exchanges on water utility models and reform strategies. These conversations are crucial as South Africa faces significant challenges in its water services. 🗯Counsellor Tine Anbæk, heading up the Strategic Sector Cooperation with DWS says: “It was a privilege for Denmark to host Deputy Minister Mahlobo and his strong delegation. There are many similarities in the way South Africa and Denmark have distributed the mandates for drinking water with national responsibility for water resources management and local government responsible for water services. This offers interesting opportunities for cross-learning that we explored in Denmark benefitting from the outstanding technical insights of Deputy Minister Mahlobo.”

Please say hello to Gustav Brade, our new sector advisor in the Embassy’s Sustainable Cities and Water Programme! 💧👋 Gustav has been with us for almost two months now and is leading our partnership with the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality and Aarhus Kommune to improve water management and address the challenges of water scarcity and urban development. 🗯Here’s what Gustav had to say about his start at the Embassy, his views on South Africa, and his new role: "Moving here with my wife and three kids was a big decision, but we have felt welcome and at home from the minute we got here. I am on a steep steep learning curve to familiarise myself with the collaboration between Aarhus and Tshwane, but am very grateful to be working with awesome (and sometimes very patient) people in our partner organisations and here at the Embassy. Tshwane is facing immense challenges concerning water security and urban development, so it is extremely meaningful work to contribute to this from my new position as sector advisor." ⚙💡 Gustav began his career at Realdania, one of Denmark’s largest philanthropic organizations, where he worked on development projects aimed at using construction to drive positive change. Most recently, as Director of Strategic Urban Development, Innovation, and Partnerships at Henning Larsen, Gustav applied his experience in local government, philanthropy, and urban development to help create more sustainable, enjoyable cities. We are excited about Gustav's contributions to the Embassy’s sustainability efforts♻ Join us in officially welcoming Gustav to his role as Sector Advisor! 🎉

The European Union 🇪🇺 to Power South Africa’s 🇿🇦 Green Hydrogen Ambitions! 🍀 This week the EU Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson visited South Africa. 🇿🇦🇪🇺 Together with Minister for Electricity and Energy Kgosientsho Ramokgopa and Minister of Department of Trade, Industry and Competition Mpho Parks Tau, she announced two major grants worth R628 million through the EU Global Gateway Initiative to drive South Africa’s green hydrogen future. ✅ These grants will fuel infrastructure development, boost sustainable energy projects, and support Transnet’s green transformation. 🟢 Denmark 🇩🇰, a proud #TeamEurope member, stands alongside South Africa 🇿🇦 in shaping a cleaner, more sustainable future through green hydrogen. 🍀 See Joint Statement here: https://lnkd.in/daeCY_DR 📸 European Union Audrey Rojkoff European Investment Bank (EIB) Elsebeth Søndergaard Krone Jeppe Skårhøj

As a part of on-boarding the new sector advisor Gustav Brade and as a part of hosting the midterm review, the Tshwane-Aarhus collaboration had a week long mission in Tshwane from the 2nd to the 6th of September. Key highlights from the week: 💧 Status meetings and workshops with the four tracks; Waste Water Treatment Works, Non-Revenue Water, Own Recourse Optimisation, Water Security Strategy. 💧 Site visits to Fountains Springs, Rietvlei Nature Reserve and Rooiwal and Temba Waste Water Treatment Works. 💧 Lastly, in the light of the launch of the New Danish Africa Strategy, we were happy to attend the annual Project Steering Committee meeting at Tschwane House between the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality top management, City Manager Mr. Johann Mettler, Chief Operating Officer Ms. Vuyo Zitumane and Chief Financial Officer Mr. Gareth Mnisi, Aarhus Kommune top management Martin Østergaard Christensen, Flemming Fogh and Simon Grünfeld, and Danish Ambassador H.E. Elsebeth Søndergaard Krone to provide a status and overview of the progress of the Partnership, and as a vital part of strengthening the bilateral relations between South Africa and Denmark.

What an incredible evening! 🌟 A big thank you to everyone who joined us at the Danida Fellowship Centre alumni networking event hosted by the Danish Ambassador Elsebeth Søndergaard Krone at the Danish Residence in Pretoria. It was a night filled with inspiration, collaboration, and powerful conversations about how we can continue building bridges between South Africa and Denmark. As part of the evening, we asked our alumni to describe their exchange experience in Denmark in three words💡 Check out the video to hear what they said and find out why our Youth Advisor to the Danish Embassy, Dimpho Lekgeu, believes that development work and activism should be fun 🤩 And thank you to One Groove once again who brings together talented Danish and South African producers and singers! 🇩🇰🇿🇦

🇩🇰 KALDER ALLE DANSKERE bosat i Angola, Botswana, eSwatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia og Zimbabwe! Danes Worldwide inviterer, i samarbejde med Ambassaden i Pretoria og Danish Society - South Africa til et gratis webinar. ✅Onsdag d. 11. september kl. 16:00, dansk tid Mødet er åbent for alle danskere og ægtefæller, familiemedlemmer eller andre med tilknytning til Danmark. Mødet giver en unik mulighed for at få en opdatering på regler og problemstillinger, som berører mange danskere bosat i udlandet. Som noget nyt får du mulighed for selv at påvirke, hvilke emner vores jurist skal inkludere i sit oplæg. Ved tilmelding får du mulighed for at foreslå tre af følgende emner: • Dansk statsborgerskab – bevarelse (22-års reglen) • Dansk statsborgerskab – generhvervelse (for tidligere danske statsborgere) • Dansk statsborgerskab for internationale partnere • Dansk folkepension • Stemmeret når man bor i udlandet • Hvordan opretholde dansk bankkonto og MobilePay, når man bor i udlandet • Flytte til Danmark med en international partner (familiesammenføring) • Dansk skat • Optagelse på dansk gymnasium og universitet 📍 PROGRAM & TILMELDING📍 https://lnkd.in/dXwDW_nG Arrangementet er åbent og gratis.

📣 "Make sure youth voices are not only heard but also acted upon." This was the important message from our Youth Advisor to the Danish Embassy, Dimpho Lekgeu. Yesterday evening, around 100 alumni of the Danida Fellowship Centre program, were gathered for a special alumni networking event hosted by the Danish Ambassador at the Danish Residence 🎊✨ This event brought together South African students and professionals who have benefited from the DFC Scholarship Programme or will be doing so in the near future. The DFC programme provides fully funded opportunities for short courses, master’s programmes, and research grants, focusing on energy, climate, water, sustainable cities, and agriculture. Sharing knowledge and transforming it into action does not happen by itself. Therefore, the DFC emphasizes how skills and capacities can be translated into real-world impact, just as Dimpho emphasized in her speech. ⭐ A key takeaway from the event was the importance of mutual learning, highlighted by the African philosophy of Ubuntu—'I am because of who we all are.' This spirit of collaboration was embodied in the live performance by One Groove, which showcased cross-continental creativity through the Ama Groove – New Ground project, uniting artists from South Africa, Cameroon, and Denmark. We also featured the "Greener Together" exhibition, highlighting Denmark's green solutions in the circular economy, energy transition, and water management, which are crucial in addressing global challenges♻ Thank you to everyone who attended! Our cooperation has allowed us to partner with highly qualified professionals who understand the challenges being faced in South Africa, such as addressing socio-economic issues. This is why increased student exchange between Denmark and African countries is important in Denmark’s renewed approach to strengthening engagement with African countries. DFC is a great example of this. Read more about exchange programs in the new Danish strategy – Africa's Century - here 👇 https://lnkd.in/dB29s6h2 Ubuntu!❤️

“Music can truly shift the status quo; it can change the way we connect as humanity. It serves as the narrator of the different eras of our lives and societies.” 🎼   These are the words of Thandi Dyani co-founder of One Groove. One Groove is an organization that unites musicians from Denmark and South Africa to co-create music and foster lasting international networks for cultural exchange.   Africa’s rich and diverse cultural heritage—especially in art, culture, and music—offers immense potential. Denmark firmly believes that cultural cooperation can pave the way for creative businesses and job creation across continents 🌍   With this in mind, the Danish Embassy is excited to spotlight One Groove, which is back in South Africa with its latest project, Ama Groove – New Ground. This initiative brings together artists from South Africa, Cameroon, and Denmark, fostering a cross-continental exploration of creativity and music while emphasizing sustainable artistry.   We’re particularly thrilled to welcome participants from Ama Groove – New Ground to our upcoming Danida Fellowship Centre Alumni event, where they will be performing live🎺   This event will bring together students and young professionals from South Africa who have been on exchange to Denmark for a special DFC alumni networking gathering, hosted by the Danish Ambassador at the Danish Residence.   ➰ Culture unites us ➰   This is why cultural cooperation is a cornerstone of Denmark’s renewed approach to strengthening engagement with African countries.   Read more about the cultural cooperation in the new Danish strategy – Africa's Century - here 👇 Africas century (um.dk)

I Danmark tager vi for givet, at lyset tænder, når vi trykker på stikkontakten 💡 Sådan er det desværre ikke alle steder. Et af de lande, der har haft store udfordringer med at kunne levere den strøm, der efterspørges, er Sydafrika, som Energistyrelsen samarbejder om grøn energiomstilling med. Morten Holm van Donk er vores udsendte energirådgiver i landet, og som bosiddende i Sydafrika har han også oplevet de planlagte strømafbrud - såkaldte ”brownouts” - på daglig basis. ”I dag er vi kommet langt i forhold til de timelange strømafbrydelser, vi oplevede før i tiden. De plejede at resultere i lange bilkøer, fordi lyskrydsene var sorte. Butikkerne lukkede før tid, fordi intet fungerede. Derhjemme foregik madlavningen i mørke eller udenfor på grillen,” fortæller Morten, som blandt andet deler danske erfaringer med, hvordan man får mere sol og vind ind i strømforsyningen, uden at den bliver ustabil. Og lige præcis den vedvarende energi har været en af grundene til, at Sydafrika i dag oplever færre strømafbrud ☀️ ”Den mere stabile strømforsyning er kommet ad flere veje. Sydafrikanerne begyndte blandt andet selv at opsætte solceller til eget forbrug, og dermed faldt efterspørgslen på strøm tilstrækkeligt til, at el-systemet ikke længere var så overbelastet,” siger Morten. Og det er ikke ligegyldigt for sydafrikanerne, hvordan landet får omstillet til grøn energi. Der er stort fokus på, at omstillingen skal være retfærdig og stemme overens med socioøkonomiske hensyn. Derfor har man i en årrække været i gang med en markedsliberalisering, og den udvikling er nu ved at ramme det sydafrikanske el-marked. Regeringen har netop lanceret en ny Afrika-strategi, som lægger op til at styrke dansk-afrikanske partnerskaber og samhandel. Danske leverandører af energiteknologi vil i stigende grad kunne byde ind på et voksende marked for grønne løsninger i forlængelse af, at der skabes gode vilkår for grønne løsninger 🌍 I Afrika samarbejder vi – foruden Sydafrika – også med Egypten, Etiopien og Kenya samt de lande, som er en del af ” Accelerated Partnership for Renewables in Africa”.

We are excited to welcome Signe Dam as our new Deputy Head of Mission at the Danish Embassy in South Africa 🥳 Signe has been with us for almost a month and has dived into the riveting and diverse tasks at the Embassy.   🗯️”South Africa is special to so many people for many reasons, but as a human rights lawyer the exemplary constitution of South Africa has ensured the country a special place in my heart. And then of course it is simply just stunning here. I can’t wait to engage with colleagues and partners in South Africa and really get to know the country.” Signe brings a wealth of experience including as private secretary to the Minister for Development Cooperation and most recently as Deputy Director of International Law and Human Rights at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark ⚖️   🏛 📍 In her role as Deputy Head of Mission, Signe will be responsible for the political department and engage in the embassy’s work on green energy, partnerships, democracy, good governance and human rights. Through her years working with multilateral relations in the UN she used her passion for international cooperation and diplomatic relations and will continue to do so in the strengthening of our close bilateral ties with South Africa. Please join us in welcoming Signe! 🇿🇦