South African President Cyril Ramaphosa welcomed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a host of global leaders to the newly formed Global Outlook Council on Water Investments, a landmark G20 initiative aimed at transforming water from a crisis sector into a catalyst for global progress. Speaking at the Africa Water Investment Summit in Cape Town on August 13, 2025, Ramaphosa emphasized that water must no longer be sidelined in climate and finance discussions but should be “financed, tracked, and championed” as a central pillar of sustainable development.
The summit, hosted under South Africa’s G20 Presidency, marked the launch of the Global Water Investment Platform, an expansion of the Africa Water Investment Programme. This platform is designed to serve as the world’s premier high-level political and investment hub for water, aligning efforts across the G20, UN, multilateral development banks, and the private sector. Ramaphosa outlined its mission to track progress, unlock finance, and report annually, ensuring water security becomes a global priority.
“We gather at a time of deepening water crisis, but also immense opportunity,” Ramaphosa declared. “Let us build a world where water is recognized as a human right, not weaponized against women, children, and communities.” He called for concrete outcomes, urging leaders to leave the summit with “deals, pipelines, partnerships, and a permanent global mechanism” to sustain momentum.
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The Council boasts an impressive roster, including Modi, Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, UK’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Angola’s President João Lourenço (African Union Chair), and Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, co-host of the UN 2026 Water Conference. Co-chairs include UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley, and Bill Gates.
The summit’s goals include endorsing a declaration to scale up investments and governance, showcasing 80 priority water projects from 38 countries, and fostering partnerships between governments and financiers. Ramaphosa highlighted South Africa’s recent Zuikerbosch Water Purification Plant expansion as a model for transformative infrastructure, underscoring Africa’s potential to lead in water innovation.
As the summit continues until August 15, it aims to elevate water security on global agendas, from G20 to COP30 and the UN 2026 Water Conference, positioning water as a driver of economic transformation, peace, and resilience.
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