Minister Pemmy Majodina attends 39th African Union Summit, 14 to 15 Feb

Building on the momentum generated by the historic Africa Water Investment Summit held in Cape Town in August 2025, South Africa will participate in the 39th Ordinary Session of the African Union (AU) Assembly of Heads of State and Government, taking place on 14–15 February 2026 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The Summit places water and sanitation at the centre of Africa’s development agenda.

The Minister of Water and Sanitation, Ms Pemmy Majodina, will form part of the South African delegation attending the Summit, convened under the theme: “Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063.” This theme underscores the African Union’s recognition of water as a strategic resource that is intrinsically linked to food security, public health, climate resilience, energy production, and political stability across the continent.

The Summit brings together Heads of State and Government, Ministers, AU organs, Regional Economic Communities, and international partners to engage in high-level discussions. Key focus areas include the water and sanitation roadmap, climate resilience, inclusive human development, as well as investment mobilisation, sustainable financing mechanisms, and efficiency improvements in the water sector.

South Africa and AU-AIP to host a High-Level Leaders Session on Water Investment

On the margins of the Summit, the Republic of South Africa, in collaboration with the African Union Commission and the International High-Level Panel on Water Investment for Africa (AU-AIP), will host a High-Level Leaders Session on Water Investment on Sunday, 15 February 2026, at the AU Precinct Multipurpose Hall.

The session will be attended by Heads of State, Ministers from AU Member States, investors, development finance institutions, and global partners. The event will provide an opportunity to receive progress reports on the implementation of the Cape Town Declaration; track milestones achieved since the AU-AIP Summit; share updates on investment project pipelines presented at the Africa Water Investment Summit, which attracted interest from water utilities, investors, and financiers.

The session, themed: “Water for People and Prosperity: Through Cooperation and Investment in Water,” is expected to facilitate dialogue on accelerating the actual financing of bankable water and sanitation projects, while also providing updates on Africa’s role in co-hosting and co-chairing the 2026 United Nations Water Conference.

Africa Water Investment Summit and South African context

In August 2025, South Africa, in partnership with the AU-AIP, convened the Africa Water Investment Summit within the framework of South Africa’s G20 Presidency. The Summit brought together African Ministers, financiers, investors, and development partners, who collectively committed to closing the continent’s water and sanitation investment gap.

The Summit focused on accelerating transformative investments in Africa’s water and sanitation sectors by mobilising political will, financial capital, and institutional partnerships. A total of 80 priority water investment projects from 38 African countries were presented to investors, attracting an estimated USD 10–12 billion per annum in potential investment.

South Africa, like many countries on the continent, continues to face significant challenges in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6) — ensuring the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all by 2030. While approximately 85% of households have access to piped water within their dwellings, the sustainability and reliability of supply have regressed due to multiple factors, including insufficient investment in water infrastructure.

Key barriers include a significant funding gap in water infrastructure development; governance challenges, including inadequate policies, regulations, and multi-sectoral strategies; limited implementation capacity and a shortage of bankable projects; insufficient focus on climate-resilient water infrastructure; and relatively low private sector participation in water projects.

Inadequate investment in the water sector threatens to reverse gains made across multiple Sustainable Development Goals and undermines the objectives of Agenda 2063. Climate change further exacerbates these challenges, increasing the risks of water scarcity, food and energy insecurity, and potential conflict.

For more information contact: 

Spokesperson for the Department of Water and Sanitation
Ms Wisane Mavasa 
Cell: 060 561 8935
E-mail: mavasaw@dws.gov.za

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