Religion remains a relatively underexplored factor in current development discourse. Key policy documents of the African Union—such as the Africa Action Plan on Development Effectiveness and Agenda 2063—largely overlook the role of religious communities. Similarly, major global development frameworks, including the Common African Position on the post-2015 Development Agenda and the UN resolution 70/1 on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, fail to mention faith-based actors. Nevertheless, in recent years, there has been growing international interest in the intersection of religion and development, as evidenced by initiatives from the World Bank, the UK’s Department for International Development, and Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. This discourse builds upon classical sociological theories, notably Max Weber’s thesis on the Protestant ethic and Shmuel Eisenstadt’s concept of religion’s “transformative capacity.” African Initiated Churches (AICs), Christian movements founded by Africans, independent of Western missionary churches, are increasingly recognized for their potential to contribute to socio-economic development. Particularly in South Africa, AICs (including Zionist, Apostolic, and Ethiopian Churches) have grown significantly and now represent a substantial share of the population. These churches emphasize dignity, moral conduct, responsibility, and a direct relationship with the sacred, often translating religious beliefs into psychosocial and economic empowerment. Despite their transformative potential and widespread influence, AICs remain largely unacknowledged as partners in international development cooperation. This report addresses this gap by examining how AICs could become effective partners for German development cooperation. Using a three-level analytical framework, individual, social, and institutional, the study explores the developmental relevance of AICs, focusing on South Africa while drawing broader implications for religious engagement in development.