The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH works worldwide for a future worth living. Together with its partners, GIZ creates opportunities and sustainably improves people’s lives — turning international agendas into action through its networks, with a global vision and local impact. A federally owned enterprise headquartered in Bonn and Eschborn, Germany, GIZ delivers international development cooperation on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and other commissioning parties, with capacity development as its core discipline and dedicated departments for Africa and other regions.

GIZ is one of the most significant institutional supporters of Africa’s tech and innovation ecosystem. Its flagship Make-IT in Africa initiative — implemented on behalf of BMZ — takes a collaborative, systemic approach to strengthening national and pan-African innovation ecosystems, working with a network of 30+ corporate and financing partners, social enterprises, hubs and networks including SAP, IBM and German Chambers of Commerce Abroad. Beginning as a pilot in Kenya and Nigeria, Make-IT expanded to Ghana, Tunisia, Rwanda and Namibia, supporting tech start-ups with acceleration, business development advice, investor readiness, market access and policy work, connecting entrepreneurs with corporates for joint innovation. Beyond Make-IT, GIZ’s digitalisation portfolio spans digital health, AI for development, digital skills and digital policy across the continent, working closely with partners including Smart Africa on Africa’s push toward digital sovereignty.