By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The inaugural Africa Water Investment Summit kicked off on Wednesday in Cape Town, with a call to secure safe water for all across the continent.
The conference, convened by South Africa as part of its G20 presidency and jointly organized with the African Union (AU), the AU Development Agency, and the African Union-Africa Water Investment Program (AU-AIP) International High-Level Panel on Water Investments, aims to mobilize at least 30 billion U.S. dollars a year to close Africa’s water investment gap.
The event, held from Wednesday to Friday at the Cape Town International Convention Center, brings together African heads of state, G20 representatives, investors, ministers, and development institutions under South Africa’s G20 Presidency theme of “Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability.”
“This summit is a landmark moment not only for Africa, but for the global movement for access to safe water for all,” said President Cyril Ramaphosa in his opening address.
Ramaphosa took the opportunity to launch the Global Outlook Council on Water Investments, a G20 presidential legacy initiative. “The launch of the Global Outlook Council on Water Investments will see the AIP scaled up into a global water investment platform,” he said.
“The Global Outlook Council and the Global Water Investment Platform will serve as the world’s premier high-level political and investment platform on water,” he noted.
Ramaphosa underlined four ambitions of the summit:
- To endorse a summit declaration that commits to scale up investments, improve governance and increase accountability in the water sector;
- To showcase a pipeline of 80 priority water investment projects from 38 countries;
- To facilitate matchmaking between governments, finances, and partners; and position water at the highest levels of global political and financial agenda.
“The Council will guide the transition from fragmented water investments to a coherent, coordinated and capitalized global effort through the Global Water Investment Platform,” he added.
He emphasised that the continent is looking forward to the alignment of the Global Outlook Council initiative with the investment theme of the 2026 United Nations Water Conference.
The invited leaders that will work with the South Africa G20 Presidency as co-chair in the leadership of the council are United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados, and Co-Chairperson of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Bill Gates.
Alternate Co-Chairs include former Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete and UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed, who will facilitate effective broad engagement of the Council members.
The Council will be supported by a network of global leaders acting as ‘Council Champions’ to strengthen advocacy and mobilise resources.