Africa faces a US$30 billion annual gap in water investment. This Summit will mobilise investments in climate-resilient water and sanitation projects, ensuring water security, economic growth, and sustainable development across the continent.
Through this Summit, Africa stands on the brink of transforming political resolve into meaningful action. Anchored to five strategic objectives; mobilizing financial commitments, improving access to finance, strengthening governance, showcasing bankable project pipelines, and advancing legal and regulatory reform; the Summit is designed to narrow the continent’s annual US $30 billion water investment gap and inspire the reforms needed to make it happen.
This Summit transcends finance; it is Africa’s clarion call to action. By uniting political leadership, investor capital, technical innovation, and civil society engagement around a shared agenda, it can catalyse the much-needed change. The outcomes of this Summit, underpinned by the Declaration, will not only chart a sustainable path forward but also present a compelling model of how coordinated continental mobilisation can drive development, resilience, and inclusive prosperity.
This Summit is a rallying cry to leaders, investors, and innovators to step forward with action, not just intention.
By aligning capital, reforms, and political leadership with the continent’s needs, the Summit can ignite a new era of water systems transformation. If Africa seizes this opportunity, the legacy will not be measured in speeches, but in pipelines built, jobs created, lives improved, and resilience secured for generations to come.
Investment-ready projects to be showcased to funders
The AU-AIP Water Investment Summit will be convened by the Republic of South Africa, African Union Commission, AU-Continental Africa Water Investment Programme (AIP), AU-AIP International High-Level Panel on Water Investments for Africa and the African Union Development Agency – NEPAD. It will be hosted in the context of South Africa’s G20 Presidency, aligning with its priorities of rapid and inclusive economic growth, poverty and hunger eradication, and climate sustainability. It brings together African governments, financiers, development partners, and the private sector to align efforts, deepen partnerships, and drive bold action toward water security and sustainable development.
Anchored in the G20 theme of “Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability,” the Summit seeks to demonstrate Africa’s leadership in climate and water resilience while attracting strategic capital flows from national and global markets.
At the heart of this Summit is the AIP Africa Water Investment Pipeline, a growing portfolio of more than 80 investment-ready water projects from 19 African countries and four transboundary basins. The pipeline includes infrastructure and non-infrastructure projects, ranging from nature-based solutions and sanitation initiatives to irrigation systems, drinking water access, wastewater treatment, and multi-purpose dams.
What makes this pipeline compelling is not only its alignment with national priorities and SDG 6, but also the opportunity it presents for climate-smart investment that can yield financial returns, social impact, and long-term resilience.
The projects are designed to reduce entry risks, promote scalability, and enable systemic impact. They are responding to growing investor interest in climate-resilient infrastructure, with a focus on showcasing co-financing mechanisms, blended finance, and tailored instruments that make local utilities and service providers bankable. The Global Water Partnership, through the Continental Africa Water Investment Programme (AIP) Secretariat, provided technical support to project owners in developing the pipeline.
A Summit Designed for Results
By leveraging South Africa’s G20 Presidency, the Summit will:
- Facilitate increased access to climate finance for water security and resilience, through different instruments and mechanisms.
- Showcase bankable water and sanitation projects to potential funders and investors.
- Promote policy and regulatory reforms for creating a more auspicious investment environment.
- Strengthen partnerships between governments, the private sector, and development partners.
Delegates will participate in high-level dialogues, engage in project matchmaking sessions, and contribute to a Declaration on Water Investments that will influence both continental and global development agendas, including preparations for the 2026 UN Water Conference.
Critical Conversations
The Summit agenda is anchored in action-oriented dialogue, organised around key themes shaping the future of Africa’s water investment landscape. Plenary discussions will deliver strong messages from public and private leaders, investors, utilities, and regional and global stakeholders.
Day 1 will open with a strong statement: Africa is ready for water investments. It will highlight the urgency of creating platforms that match the supply and demand for finance, and stress the need to elevate water on global agendas, including G20 summits and working groups. The discussion will move beyond financing infrastructure to underscore the importance of building a financially credible water sector that appeals to a broad spectrum of investors.
On day 2 the Summit will focus on the critical role of government in unlocking domestic finance, enabling institutional reforms, and supporting utilities to access climate finance. Governments will also explore instruments such as sovereign bonds, user tariffs, and blended finance to mobilise funds. Ministers will learn from each other’s experiences what the most promising finance instruments are that can be scaled to mobilise domestic finance.
On this day the focus will also be on mobilising for more inclusive access to finance and financial instruments, particularly for local service providers. It will also reinforce the need to coordinate investment pipelines in line with national development plans.
Day 3 will wrap up the discussions with a strong message on leadership and innovation. High-level commitment will be celebrated, and the role of both public and private sector innovation in advancing SDG 6 will be amplified. The Summit will underscore that water is foundational to economic growth, climate security, and social stability, and must therefore be prioritised at the highest levels of decision-making.
Conclusion
The AU-AIP Africa Water Investment Summit is not just a high-level event; it is a defining moment for Africa’s future. The challenges are immense, but so is the opportunity. With over 80 investment-ready projects, a bold political mandate, and growing investor interest, the foundations are in place. What remains is collective action.
Now is the time to match Africa’s ambition with real investments and lasting reform. The outcomes of this Summit must resonate far beyond Cape Town, setting in motion the partnerships, financing, and innovation needed to secure water for all. Because when Africa invests in water, it invests in its people, its prosperity, and its place in a climate-resilient world.