Vol. 01 · Issue 04 — April 2026

Africa and Europe work better together. Business is where that happens.

№ 001 Research · Tools · Podcast 17°E — Pole to Pole The Netherlands · South Africa meridian17.org
01 — Why we exist Advancing African–European Partnership

There is a missing middle in how we think about Africa–Europe cooperation.

Most think tanks approach this relationship through the lens of policy or development. Neither puts business at the centre — yet business is where policy either works or doesn't.

GDP, employment, investment: these are all measures of how well business operates. We call this gap the Missing Middle, and it is what Meridian17 is here to address.

As a first step in mapping this landscape systematically, we have built a live coverage analysis of six leading think tanks — showing how far each engages with the themes that matter most to Africa–Europe business.

Read our paper on the Missing Middle → Explore the think tank coverage map →
Work in progress — seeking funding

Introducing the Africa–Europe Business Navigator.

A guided, interactive tool to help African businesses understand what engaging with European partners actually requires in practice — from regulatory standards to practical first steps. A companion tool for European businesses will follow.

See the concept →
Navigator · concept preview
screen — regulatory standards walkthrough
02 — New tool EU Global Gateway Tracker

Every EU Global Gateway project in Africa, on one map.

The Global Gateway Initiative is the EU's flagship infrastructure strategy. We have mapped all 93 confirmed projects across 32 African countries so you can see what is announced, what is funded, and what is being built — filtered by pillar, phase, and investment scale.

Explore the tracker → What is the Global Gateway? ↗
Map of Africa · 93 project markers
by pillar & phase
93
Projects tracked
32
Countries
5
GGI Pillars
€300B+
GGI total
Our work

What we do.

Read more about us →
Research

Business-centred analysis of Africa–Europe cooperation

We research what holds the partnership back — from risk penalties and investment barriers to the cultural gaps that policy frameworks cannot fix alone.

Our research agenda →
Tools

Practical resources for businesses navigating the partnership

The EU–Africa Business Navigator helps African businesses understand the European regulatory landscape and find the right entry points for partnership.

Try the navigator →
Podcast

Conversations that turn research into action

Our podcast series brings researchers, policymakers and business leaders together to discuss what the evidence shows and what needs to change.

Listen now →
03 — Current work What we are working on
Published
The Missing Middle — why business belongs in the Africa–Europe think tank landscape.
PDF · 24 pages · Paper
↓
Research agenda
Research Programme 2026–2027 — five priority topics spanning the Global Gateway, investment risk, business flows, cultural barriers, and shared values.
PDF · Agenda
↓
In progress
German business sentiment on South Africa — how German businesses perceive and experience the South African market.
Research · In development
→
EU Policy Monitor

What Brussels is saying about Africa.

Latest European Parliament coverage filtered daily for Africa relevance.

See all EU policy coverage →
04 — Podcast Series 1 — Now available
Georja Calvin-Smith

Journalism in Africa: press freedom, media economics, and the European gaze.

Ten episodes examining press freedom, the economics of journalism, disinformation, and how African and European media ecosystems relate to each other. Hosted by Georja Calvin-Smith, anchor of France 24's Eye on Africa.

Listen to the series →
Our experts

Who we work with.

Meet all our experts →
Dr Kelly Alexander

A social scientist who analyses geopolitical shifts and integrates sustainability into economic development. She lectures on Strategy & Sustainability at GIBS Business School and holds a Master's in Development Sociology from Wits University and a PhD in Management & Organisation Studies from Tilburg University.

Dr Zuziwe Khuzwayo

A global feminist gender practitioner with extensive experience in civil society, research, and philanthropy. A trained sociologist, her work centres on the intersections of gender, race, class, and sexuality, with a focus on development challenges in the Global South.

Dr Egbert van der Zee

Studies tourism geography, focusing on how tourism interacts with cities — including the spatial development of Airbnb in South Africa and the influence of reviews on traveller behaviour. He employs GIS, social network, and sentiment analyses to advance sustainable, inclusive tourism.

Jane Waiyaki

A sustainable finance expert mobilising capital for conservation, climate, and nature solutions at WWF's Global Finance Practice. A 2021 UN Global Compact SDG Pioneer and 2022 One Young World Ambassador, she mentors youth and SMEs on sustainable finance.