WeeklySA_AdminUnite: If world leaders were united, water could also be a driver of economic transformation
By Monk Nkomo
While the world was facing a deepening water crisis, it was this very commodity that could be a means of survival and a driver of economic transformation , innovation and peace, according to President Cyril Ramaphosa.
He said this during his address at the Water Investment Summit and launch of the G20 Presidential Legacy Initiative on Water Investments at the Cape Town International Convention Centre this week.
The Africa Water Investment Summit was attended by a host of distinguished guests including Heads of States, world leaders and businessmen including Bill Gates of the USA.
Ramaphosa called on the world leaders to build a world where water was recognised as a human right and not weaponised against women, children and communities. Leaders must build a world where every drop counted and every community thrived. ‘’ Water investment must no longer be an afterthought at climate and finance discussions. It must be at the centre of discussions, tracked and championed. Let us leave this Summit with deals , partnerships and a permanent global mechanism to sustain the momentum.’’
Ramaphosa said the Summit was a landmark moment not only for Africa, but for the global movement for access to safe water for all.
‘’We gather here as decision-makers, investors, financiers and champions at a time when the world faces a deepening water crisis. Yet, this is also at a moment of immense opportunity. If we rise together, water can become not just a means of survival but a driver of economic transformation, innovation and peace.’’
This Summit, he added, was rooted in a journey that began nearly a decade ago. 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. At this event nine years ago, eleven Heads of State gathered to rethink how the world approached water. Following their recommendations, the African Union established the Africa Water Investment Programme and the International High-Level Panel on Water Investments for Africa.
The panel set them the task to mobilise at least 30 billion US dollars a year by 2030 to close Africa’s water investment gap. South Africa was proud to be a founding member of this Panel and to answer the call to host this Africa Water Investment Summit in the context of their G20 Presidency.
Ramaphosa said they were gathered at this Summit with four clear goals: Firstly, to endorse a Summit Declaration that committed them to scale-up investments, improve governance and increase accountability in the water sector;
Secondly, to showcase a pipeline of 80 priority water investment projects from 38 countries.
Thirdly, to facilitate matchmaking between governments, financiers and partners and
fourthly, to position water at the highest levels of the global political and financial agenda from G20 and COP30 to the UN 2026 Water Conference and beyond.
‘’But today, we are going even further. We are witnessing the launch of the Global Outlook Council on Water Investments, which is a G20 Presidential Legacy Initiative. We are bringing Africa and international partners together and calling on investors to heed the call to invest in water. 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.’’
Ramaphosa thanked 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.
This process was sustained by the subsequent G20 Presidencies of Italy in 2021, Indonesia in 2022, India in 2023 and Brazil in 2024.
‘’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 would mobilise the leadership, capital and innovation required to transform water from a crisis sector into an opportunity sector. Last week, South Africa was able to demonstrate the capacity and appetite of Africa on mega project investments when they launched the second phase of the Zuikerbosch Water Purification Plant in the Gauteng province. This plant was part of a development that would supply an extra 600 million litres of water a day to address the growing water demand across four South African provinces.
This flagship project, added Ramaphosa, was a demonstration of the government’s commitment to infrastructure investment, economic upliftment and ensuring sustainable water supply for future generations.
‘’We are looking forward to the alignment of the Global Outlook Council initiative with the investment theme of the 2026 United Nations Water Conference: ‘Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.’
He was pleased to acknowledge the invited leaders that would work with the South African G20 Presidency as co-chair in the leadership of this Council. They included President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates, Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados and Mr Bill Gates, Co-Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
These distinguished leaders would be assisted by Alternate Co-Chairs as facilitators for effective broad engagement of the Council members who would include President Jakaya Kikwete, former President of Tanzania and Her Excellency, Amina J. Mohammed, UN Deputy Secretary-General.
Ramaphosa applauded these leaders who had stepped forward to confront and overcome a challenge faced by billions of people across the world. The Council would guide the transition from fragmented water investments to a coherent, coordinated and capitalised global effort through the Global Water Investment Platform.
The matchmaking sessions planned for this Summit should create long-lasting partnerships and increased investments in water.
