Africa has secured between USD 10 and 12 billion in preliminary annual financing pledges to address its vast water and sanitation shortfalls, following a high-level gathering in Cape Town that many leaders hailed as a turning point for the continent’s development.
The AU-AIP Africa Water Investment Summit, held in August under the South African G20 Presidency, drew more than 1,700 delegates from across the continent and beyond. Among them were African heads of state, ministers responsible for water and finance portfolios, executives from global and regional development banks, investors, and civil society organizations. Their central focus was how to bridge Africa’s estimated USD 30 billion annual water investment gap, a deficit that has long undermined progress on universal access to safe water, climate resilience, and sustainable growth.
Opening the summit, President Cyril Ramaphosa called the gathering “a landmark moment not only for Africa, but for the global movement for access to safe water for all.” He argued that water must be recognised not just as a basic human need but as a strategic resource capable of fuelling industrialisation, agricultural productivity, and social stability. “Water is life,” he said, “but it is also a driver of economic transformation, peace and innovation.”
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One of the summit’s most significant achievements was the adoption of the Cape Town Declaration on African Water Investment. The document sets out commitments by governments to accelerate funding for water security, strengthen governance across the sector, and ensure transparency and accountability in the management of resources. According to Moses Vilakati, African Union Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, the declaration represents a clear signal that African leaders intend to take ownership of the continent’s water agenda. Nardos Bekele-Thomas, CEO of the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), urged participants to match their words with action, stressing that Africa’s challenge lies not in ideas but in converting them into bankable projects that can attract both public and private finance.
The summit also launched the Global Outlook Council on Water Investments, a flagship initiative under the G20 Presidency of South Africa. The council will serve as a platform to coordinate financing flows, monitor commitments, and bring together diverse players, including the G20, international financial institutions, and private investors. Invitations have been extended to a number of high-profile leaders to serve on the body, among them former Tanzanian president Jakaya Kikwete, Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley, and UN Special Envoy for Water Retno Marsudi, who has already accepted a role as Council Champion.
Recognition was also given to leaders who have demonstrated commitment to advancing water security. Through the Presidential Global Water Changemakers Awards, the summit honoured King Letsie III of Lesotho for his leadership in promoting regional cooperation on water resources. President Ramaphosa was recognised for convening the Cape Town summit and championing the new global council, while Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan received an award after pledging USD 6 billion to her country’s ambitious Water Investment Programme. Other leaders, including Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, were also commended for their efforts to support water-related initiatives across Africa and beyond.
South Africa’s Minister of Water and Sanitation, Pemmy Majodina, closed the event by stressing that the summit had strengthened Africa’s position in the run-up to the 2026 UN Water Conference, which will be co-hosted by Senegal and the United Arab Emirates. She noted that achieving universal access to water and sanitation would require not only billions in new investment, but also improvements in governance, institutional capacity, and data systems to ensure accountability and impact.
For Alex Simalabwi, CEO of the Global Water Partnership Organisation, the outcome was a sign that Africa’s water future is not only a matter of survival but also of opportunity. He argued that the scale of commitments and the creation of the Global Outlook Council demonstrate that closing the continent’s USD 30 billion water financing gap by 2030 is achievable. “The launch of the Global Outlook Council and adoption of the Declaration mark a turning point,” he said.
The summit, organised by the African Union Commission, the Continental Africa Water Investment Programme, AUDA-NEPAD, the Global Water Partnership, and the Republic of South Africa, set a new benchmark for mobilising resources around one of Africa’s most urgent development challenges. For many of the leaders present, it represented not just a financial breakthrough but also a symbolic affirmation that water security lies at the heart of the continent’s future prosperity and resilience.
