Strengthening the Cape Town-Aachen Partnership: 25 years of collaboration
24 March 2025
The City of Cape Town recently welcomed a high-level delegation from the City of Aachen, led by Lord Mayor Sibylle Keupen, as part of the ongoing Cape Town-Aachen Partnership. Now approaching its 25th anniversary, this long-standing collaboration continues to foster meaningful exchanges in sustainability, urban development, education, and governance.
‘The Cape Town-Aachen partnership is a testament to the power of international collaboration in addressing shared challenges. Over the past 25 years, it has facilitated over 1 000 exchanges, benefitting both cities through initiatives such as the Climate Ticket Cape Town, Hack your Shack, and agri-hubs and food gardens. With 2025 marking a quarter century of this partnership, we remain committed to deepening ties and driving impactful projects,’ said the City of Cape Town’s Deputy Mayor and Mayoral Committee Member for Spatial Planning and Environment, Alderman Eddie Andrews.
During the visit, officials and civil society representatives from both cities engaged in discussions to refine and strengthen the partnership for the future. Key themes that emerged included governance, behaviour change, and collaborative sustainability efforts, all aimed at ensuring greater alignment between Cape Town and Aachen’s shared vision for resilient and sustainable urban development.
‘The two cities of Cape Town and Aachen have been close friends for 25 years. Our vibrant partnership was further strengthened during the official visit to Cape Town on behalf of the remarkable anniversary of our collaboration. The engaging interactions with those actively involved in the partnership’s projects, as well as the close and friendly dialogue with colleagues from the City administration, have deepened our bond. In the joint workshop on the further development of the city twinning, we have developed, reflected on, and solidified our goals. These will be outlined in an updated MoA for the upcoming years, set to be signed in Aachen in August 2025, said Lord Mayor of Aachen, Keupen.
A key outcome of the delegation’s visit was the initiation of the review process for the existing Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) between the two cities signed in 2017. The renewed MoA, set to be formally signed at the 25th anniversary celebrations later this year, will build on past successes and explore new areas of cooperation, particularly in tackling shared urban and environmental challenges.
The visit also included engagements with local institutions, thought leaders, and stakeholders, fostering discussions on innovative urban solutions and knowledge exchange. From exploring transversal collaboration in education and city governance to addressing pressing environmental sustainability challenges. The visit reinforced the importance of city-to-city partnerships in navigating complex global issues.
The renewed MoA will guide this continued cooperation, ensuring that the partnership remains a driver of innovation and shared progress.
End Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office
