Water worries are a constant presence in Africa and in 2025 the issues are being splashed across headlines everywhere. Southern Africa saw aggregate cereal yields sink 16% below the five-year average, with hard hit Zambia and Zimbabwe seeing declines of around 43% and 50%, respectively, due to drought and water-stress. Some $30 billion is needed annually to ensure safe water, and supply must increase ten-fold supply to boost food production by 50% for Africa’s soaring population. Never mind what’s needed for energy creation. Meanwhile, the hard work of collecting water is by done predominantly by women and girls - in sub-Saharan Africa, nearly 80% of households lacking direct water access have women or girls as the primary water collectors. The billions of hours they spend collecting water could be spent learning, earning or leading - only three African countries are on track for universal basic sanitation, and the lack of water costs Sub-Saharan Africa alone an annual 5% of GDP.
Writing on Al Jazeera last month, Sareen Malik, executive secretary of the African Civil Society for Water and Sanitation, made a crucial point: “Africa’s future runs on water. So treat it as essential infrastructure!”
Finance must flow in the right direction
The pay-back for investing in water is substantial - according to the African Union, every dollar poured into water and sanitation generates at least seven dollars in benefits across health, education, food security, and environmental protection. Thus, investment in water could enable Africa to meet every one of the development goals that it and its friends, want for the continent.
Chances are that water and the many challenges, but also opportunities it offers, are likely to stay in the headlines. In 2026, Africa's water future will be a major focus, particularly around the UN 2026 Water Conference. It is also the African Union's Theme of the Year Key events include the All Systems Symposium Africa in Kigali, Rwanda, which aims to launch the continent's water and sanitation transformation agenda. Commitments will be made, such as adopting the AMCOW Strategic Operational Plan for 2026–2030 and focusing on investment to achieve the Africa Water Vision 2063 and Policy.
Momentum has been building in 2025, but there is a very long way to go to solve Africa’s problem, and like so many things what is missing is access to finance! As Richard Matikanya, Deputy Executive Director of CIFF Africa, commented at the Africa Water Investment Summit, which was co-hosted by the United Arab Emirates and the Republic of Senegal : “To close the water financing gap in Africa, it is essential that we design investment mechanisms alongside African governments. When national priorities shape the agenda from the outset, capital flows to the projects with the greatest need and the strongest local support. This is how we ensure lasting impact.”