The centerpiece of the climapAfrica program are the seven thematic working groups.

The working groups are composed by the cohorts of climapAfrica postdoctoral fellows and alumni of German funding initiatives with expertise in the field of climate change, climate protection, and land use. The climapAfrica postdoctoral fellows are at the core of the working group. 

By March 2022, 216 climate experts from over 30 African countries are engaging across the working groups to build platforms for exchange of knowledge, skills and ideas and to promote the visibility, recognition and utilization of climate change knowledge. Activities include training and capacity-building measures, network, expert talks, co-production of knowledge and collaboration on research proposals.

Reflecting the horizontal research needs in the field of climate change, climate protection and land use, the goal of the working groups are to initiate new approaches and concrete measures that take into account the situation on the ground, aim at practical application.