Water and Sanitation Minister, Pemmy Majodina has expressed her satisfaction on the commitments made following a three-day inaugural African Union-Africa Water Investment
Programme (AIP) Water Investment Summit which was opened by President Cyril Ramaphosa, in Cape Town, South Africa. The Minister announced that more than 10 billion has been raised in the last three days of the summit and is confident that more will be achieved.

The Summit, which was aligned with South Africa’s G20 Presidency priorities of solidarity, equality, and sustainability, brought together Heads of State, Ministers, investors and development partners to drive solutions to challenges of water provision.

Accordingly, the 1690 delegates in attendance to this Summit rallied support behind the achievement of South Africa’s G20 priorities of rapid and inclusive economic growth, eradication of poverty and hunger, and climate sustainability, by accelerating investments into climate-resilient water and sanitation.

Minister Majodina said 80 priority water investment projects from 38 different countries were identified for the summit and they have already attracted an estimated projection of 10 to 12 billion US Dollars a year, worth of investments.

“In the last three days, we have identified governance, finance, capacity and data gaps in the water sector and together we commit to pay focused attention to these matters. We are making a call to governments to help level the playing fields in order to attract investment. Let us eliminate long and unnecessary red tape which undermines and discourages investment. We have also managed to showcase a pipeline of bankable water and sanitation projects to prospective funders and investors.”

“What we are grateful for is that the matchmaking sessions during the three days have
managed to strengthen relations between governments, project developers, and financiers,
building trust and paving way for long term collaborations,” Minister Majodina said.

She further noted that the Africa Water Investment Summit, hosted in the context of South Africa’s G20 Presidency, helped to advance efforts towards inclusive and sustainable economic growth and social advancement.

The summit was convened under the auspices of the African Union, the High-Level Panel on Water Investment for Africa and the Republic of South Africa’s G20 Presidency. The commitments were made by the 20 ministers responsible for water, sanitation and environment across the continent and beyond, as supported by the African Heads of State and Government and other global leaders.

The inadequate investments in water have affected the gains made across all the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on water and sanitation, and the critical role that water plays in climate change adaptation and mitigation and the goals of Agenda 2063.

This is due to the continent’s growing needs, resulting in Africa’s $30 billion annual water investment gap. Therefore, the delivery of water investments across Africa is below target to meet the continent’s growing needs.

In December 2023 during COP 28 in Dubai, UAE, the African Union Commission and AIP International High-Level Panel launched the Africa Water Investment Action Plan, outlining how countries can mobilise the additional US$30 billion per year required to ensure water security and sustainable sanitation on the continent.

The Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment of the African Union Commission, His Excellency Moses Vilakati has described the Summit convened under South Africa’s historic G20 Presidency as more than a gathering, but a call to action, a platform for transformation, and a proof to Africa’s leadership in climate-resilient water security and safe sanitation.

“We came together with a shared mission: to close Africa’s $30 billion annual water investment gap, and we leave with renewed momentum, concrete commitments, and a bold vision for the future. The African Union declared Water as the Theme for the Year 2026, and it is our fervent hope that this will help in our drive for better water investments in the Continent,” said Commissioner Vilakati.

The Summit also served as a platform to consolidate the position of AU Member States on water investment in preparation for the 2026 UN Water Conference, which will be hosted by the Government of Senegal and the United Arab Emirates.