Germany and the Kingdom of Lesotho have enjoyed diplomatic relations in a spirit of mutual trust since the latter gained independence in 1966. Even after the closure of the German Embassy in Maseru in 1994, Lesotho maintained an embassy in Berlin. At the beginning of 2005, Germany and France opened a joint consular office in the Alliance Française building in Maseru.

Following his first official visit to Germany in April 2013, King Letsie III returned to the country in March and May 2023 with a delegation including Foreign Minister Lejone. In March he was invited for talks with Federal President Steinmeier, and in May he travelled at the invitation of the German Bundestag.

Germany is engaged in Lesotho as part of regional cooperation with the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and via the EU. The focus is on projects to support water management, develop renewable energies, expand regional value-added chains and prevent gender-based violence. In addition, non-governmental agencies are active in Lesotho with funding from the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. GIZ has an office in Maseru. A cultural preservation project is being carried out in cooperation with the archive in Morija.

German trade with Lesotho has to date been limited. The Government of Lesotho is increasingly endeavouring to attract investment from Germany.

In the field of higher education, there is a cooperation arrangement with the country’s only university, the National University of Lesotho, which enables exchanges between students and teachers from the two countries thanks to German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) scholarships.