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Africa, with a population of about 1.5 billion, has had persistent challenges of access to water, a resource that can also promote economic activity, peace and socio-economy. Financial injection into water infrastructure across African countries has the potential to improve the quality of life in the respective economies.
African leaders and their partners gathered at the three days African Union-AIP Water Investment Summit at the International Convention Centre in Cape Town, South Africa, that kicked-off on Wednesday, 13 August 2025, to forge a way forward towards investing and improving access to water in the continent.
South Africa, the Presidency of the G20 hosted the Summit; during his opening address, the President of South Africa H.E Cyril Ramaphosa told the audience that the project of water access carries a heavy price tag, of which he encouraged financiers to open their wallets and invest into these projects taking place in 38 countries.
According to Ramaphosa, in 2016, the High-Level Panel on Water was launched by the then UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon and World Bank President, Jim Yong Kim. The panel later changed and influenced how the world views water, making it a priority. In the following years the African Union established the Africa Water Investment Programme and the International High-Level Panel on Water Investments for Africa.
Ramaphosa said the panel set up the task to mobilise at least 30 billion US Dollars a year by 2030 to close Africa’s water investment gap. He appealed to the leaders and water champions to scale-up investment into water infrastructure in the continent and improve governance and increase accountability in the water sector.
The President also launched the Global Outlook Council on Water Investments.
“The launch of the Global Outlook Council on Water Investments will see the Africa Water Investment Programme scaled up into a Global Water Investment Platform.
I would like to thank the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for initiating the first G20 Water Dialogue under its G20 Presidency in 2020, which considered water as a key ingredient for socio-economic development, poverty alleviation, human health and well-being,” said Cyril Ramaphosa.
“And now, South Africa as the current G20 Presidency, in partnership with the African Union and the Africa Investments Panel, recognises it as the “AU-AIP Water Investment Summit.” 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.
It will track progress, unlock finance, report annually and align efforts across the G20, UN, multilateral development banks and the private sector. It will mobilise the leadership, capital and innovation required to transform water from a crisis sector into an opportunity sector,” he continued.
President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the members of the Council as follows:
– President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates,
– Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados,
– Mr Bill Gates, Co-Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
These distinguished leaders will be assisted by Alternate Co-Chairs as facilitators for effective broad engagement of the Council members represented by my dear brother and sister:
– President Jakaya Kikwete, Former President of Tanzania,
– Her Excellency Amina J. Mohammed, UN Deputy Secretary-General.
It is a great honour to inaugurate the following invited leaders as Council Members:
– President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil,
– President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico,
– Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia,
– Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India,
– Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia,
– Prime Minister Keir Starmer of the United Kingdom,
– Chancellor Friedrich Merz of Germany,
– Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni of Italy,
– President Ursula von der Leyen of European Commission,
– President João Lourenço of Angola and African Union Chair, and
– President Bassirou Diomaye Faye of Senegal, who is co-host of the UN 2026 Water Conference.
“The Council will guide the transition from fragmented water investments to a coherent, coordinated and capitalised global effort through the Global Water Investment Platform,” said Ramaphosa.
