President Cyril Ramaphosa, in his keynote address on Wednesday in Cape Town at the Africa Water Investment Summit, launched the Global Outlook Council on Water Investments, and welcomed collaboration with co-chairs of the Council.

The Council is a G20 Presidential Legacy Initiative that aims to connect Africa with international investors.

United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation co-chair Bill Gates will collaborate with the South African G20 Presidency as co-chairs in the Council on Water Investments.

Ramaphosa said water investments should feature heavily in climate and finance discussions, and must be financed, tracked and championed.

He explained that the launch of the Global Outlook Council on Water Investments would see the Africa Water Investment Programme scaled up into a Global Water Investment Platform.

“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 explained.

Alternate co-chairs will also serve as facilitators on the Council and include former Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete; United Nations deputy secretary-general Amina Mohammed; Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi; Angolan President and African Union Chair João Lourenço; Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

He hopes to see the Council guide the transition from fragmented water investments to a coherent, coordinated and capitalised global effort through the Global Water Investment Platform.

Last week, Ramaphosa launched the second phase of the Zuikerbosch Water Purification Plant in Gauteng, which he said demonstrated Africa’s capacity for megaprojects.

The plant is part of a development that will supply an extra 600-million litres of water a day to address the growing water demand across four South African provinces.

“Let us build a world where every drop counts and every community thrives. Let us build a world where water is recognised as a human right and not weaponised against women, children and communities. It is my honour and pleasure to officially open the Africa Water Investment Summit and launch the Global Outlook Council on Water Investments,” he said.