SA Calls for SADC Support for Africa Water Investment Summit

South Africa's Minister of Water and Sanitation, Pemmy Majodina, has successfully secured support from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) for the upcoming Africa Water Investment Summit, following a recent joint meeting of regional energy and water ministers in Harare, Zimbabwe.

The high-level summit will be co-hosted by South Africa and the African Union-Continental Africa Water Investment Programme (AU-AIP), and is scheduled to take place in Cape Town from August 13 to 15, 2025, under the banner of South Africa's G20 Presidency. The event is expected to play a central role in shaping the continent's future approach to water investment and infrastructure. Africa currently faces an estimated US$30 billion (R528 billion) annual water investment gap, a critical barrier to sustainable development and economic growth. The summit aims to close this gap by mobilising financial commitments, accelerating bankable projects, and strengthening governance in the water sector.

According to Minister Majodina, while discussions around funding are frequent, practical steps are still lacking. She urged African leaders to use the summit as a launchpad for action rather than rhetoric, saying the time has come for the continent to put words into practice through focused planning and investment. She further emphasised that water and electricity are not just services but vital enablers of economic development, calling on African governments to ringfence budgets for water and energy infrastructure. No region, she noted, can thrive without prioritising access to clean water and reliable power.

Key objectives of the AU-AIP Africa Water Investment Summit include: unlocking finance for water and sanitation projects, presenting investment-ready opportunities to funders, promoting legal and regulatory reforms, and advancing transparency and accountability in the sector.

Beyond the summit, Majodina engaged with her SADC counterparts on regional collaboration efforts such as the Lesotho - Botswana water transfer and the Beitbridge - Musina integrated water supply scheme, both of which highlight South Africa's commitment to transboundary cooperation and improving access to water throughout the region.

The summit represents a pivotal opportunity for African nations to unite around a shared vision for water security, economic resilience, and sustainable development.