At the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi on May 11-12, 2026, French President Emmanuel Macron made a bold pitch: Europe and Africa must build a common partnership to reduce their strategic dependence on American and Chinese AI infrastructure.
Can this work?
Many African intellectuals find this sudden pivot laughable. Now that Europe feels geopolitically vulnerable, it asks for a “partnership of equals” – after decades of using its structural power to maintain colonial-era imbalances.
If Europe wants to rebuild genuine trust, it needs a radical shift in its playbook:
- đź’Ľ Send a new generation of business leaders to African countries: value-driven European entrepreneurs who know that the primary purpose of business is creating customer value – with profit arriving as a natural byproduct.
- 🤝 Ditch the “aid” attitude: Move entirely to an open exchange of mutual interests. Frame relationships around trade, investment, and equal footing.
- đź‘‚ Active listening over lecturing: Shift communication to serious engagement and active listening, rather than promoting pre-packaged solutions.
- đź’ˇ Deliver real value to young Africans: Create tangible tech opportunities, education, and mobility for young Africans both in Europe and on the continent.
A real partnership can help both continents counter the US and China, but it cannot be built on old colonial habits.
Want to understand these dynamics on the ground?
👉 One way is to immerse yourself in the intricacies of Nairobi’s business landscape – from high-tech to low-tech, from start-ups to established corporations. In early July, we’ll do exactly that together with a group of Executive MBA managers from the WU Executive Academy in Vienna.
And from 1st – 5th of March 2027 everybody can join Karin Krobath and me on our next open Learning Journey Silicon Savannah.
– See you there and let’s take it from there.
This post was published on LinkedIn on May 22, 2026
