About

DEG is a development finance institution and a subsidiary of German government-owned bank, KfW Group, founded in Germany in 1962. For its 55 years of operation, DEG has been a reliable partner to private-sector enterprises operating in emerging-market countries, giving tailored financial advice to individual needs in Asia, Latin America, Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe and Africa. With a representative office in Johannesburg, the legal team manages the legal operations in business investment opportunities across Africa, working on strengthening trade relations between the African countries and Europe. Amongst their areas of support, the team advise on financial projects aimed at stimulating the country’s economy in the areas of agribusiness and sustainable development, guiding private investors in tourism, infrastructure and manufacturing. An example is DEG promoting sustainable organic farming and processing tropical fruits in Ghana and the Ivory Coast, helping more than 1,200 farmers and their families, an initiative aimed at promoting sustainable organic farming and processing of tropical fruit in a competitive global market. As an extension of this, the legal team helps to offer training programmes for Ivorian farmers in organic agriculture, helping them set up production cooperatives. Recently, DEG invested US$50m in South African bank FirstRand, helping contribute to job creation within local small and medium-sized enterprises.