This landmark Summit takes place during South Africa’s G20 Presidency, the first to be hosted on African soil, under the theme “Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability”. It aims to place Africa’s development challenges, especially water security, at the centre of the global agenda and to help address the continent’s US$30 billion annual water investment gap.
Africa’s water infrastructure remains underfunded, hindering economic development, social well-being, and climate resilience. Water and sanitation are foundational to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, advancing public health, food security, industrial growth, and climate adaptation. Yet, across the continent, inadequate governance, financing shortfalls, and limited technical capacity continue to constrain progress. The Summit is a direct response to these systemic challenges.
The AU-AIP Africa Water Investment Summit is designed to be a transformative platform for mobilising political will and capital, showcasing bankable climate-resilient water and sanitation projects from across the continent. These include infrastructure for water supply and irrigation, hydropower, sanitation services, and cross-border water governance systems.
A critical feature of the Summit is its alignment with three strategic investment pathways, drawn from the “Africa’s Rising Investment Tide” report, which was developed by the AU-AIP International High-Level Panel on Water Investments for Africa. These include strengthening sector governance to unlock funding confidence, advancing domestic resource mobilisation to increase internal sustainability, and attracting global and continental finance to build partnerships and scale.
The three-day programme will feature high-level political plenaries, high-level sessions on investment and innovation, project showcasing and investment matchmaking sessions, and youth water investment track sessions, among others. The Summit will enable AU Member States to align on water investment priorities and strengthen coordination. The Summit will begin with the high-level official opening by the South African Government, which currently chairs the G20. Other high-level speakers during the opening will include H.E. Jakaya Kikwete, former President of Tanzania and Alternate Co-Chair of the International High-Level Panel on Water Investments for Africa, and H.E. Moses Vilakati, Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Development, AUC.
Expected outcomes of the Summit include:
- A Summit Declaration on Water Investments, to be endorsed by African Heads of State and aligned with South Africa’s G20 Presidency and the 2026 UN Water Conference.
- Concrete multi-billion-dollar investment pledges from development banks, private financiers, bilateral donors, and philanthropic partners.
- New partnerships and financing mechanisms to improve the long-term resilience and bankability of water investments.
- The inauguration of the Global Outlook Council on Water Investments, a high-level advisory body to champion water as a global priority in forums such as the G20, COP, and the United Nations.
- Presentation of the 2025 Water Changemaker Awards, including the Presidential Changemaker Award, recognising exceptional leadership and innovation in water sector transformation.
This Summit reinforces the importance of collective African action. With the admission of the African Union into the G20, there is a unique opportunity for AU Member States to speak with a unified voice and co-create a future where water is protected, valued, and invested in as a catalyst for shared prosperity. Through greater regional collaboration, knowledge exchange, and cross-border financing, the continent can transform its water systems and build a resilient and inclusive future.
The AU-AIP Africa Water Investment Summit is not only about finance; it is a continental call to action to prioritise water, not as a background issue, but as a strategic driver of Africa’s development agenda.
For further information on the Summit, please refer to the Press Release and the AIP Water Investment Summit 2025 - Africa Water Investment Program.