Africa’s push for water security is gaining momentum as South Africa steps onto a global platform to drive investment, innovation and partnerships that turn water access into health, dignity and economic opportunity.
From 26 to 27 January 2026, South Africa’s Minister of Water and Sanitation, Pemmy Majodina, will participate in a high-level preparatory meeting in Dakar, Senegal, helping shape the agenda for the United Nations Water Conference later this year. The meeting is a critical moment for translating political commitments into practical action that accelerates progress on safe water and dignified sanitation.
For South Africa and the African continent, water is more than an environmental issue. It underpins public health, food security, energy production, job creation and social stability. Yet millions of people across Africa continue to face water scarcity, ageing infrastructure and limited access to the financing required to modernise systems.
At the Dakar meeting, South Africa will co-host a key round table discussion with France focused on investments for water. The discussion will centre on financing, technology, innovation and capacity-building, with South Africa leading the conversation on behalf of the continent. The aim is to unlock stronger and more coordinated investment into water and sanitation programmes that support climate resilience and long-term development.
This engagement builds on momentum generated at the Africa Water Investment Summit held in Cape Town last year, where African leaders, financiers and development partners committed to addressing the continent’s water and sanitation funding gap. The Dakar meeting serves as a bridge between those African-led commitments and the emerging global priorities that will define the 2026 UN Water Conference.
By participating in the preparatory process, South Africa is positioning African realities and solutions at the centre of the global water agenda. This includes ensuring that water strategies respond to climate pressures, population growth and economic needs, while advancing the human right to water and sanitation.
The meeting will also focus on strengthening cooperation across borders, recognising that water systems do not align neatly with political boundaries. Transboundary water management, shared scientific knowledge and inclusive governance are increasingly seen as essential to preventing conflict and supporting sustainable growth.
Alongside political dialogue, the preparatory meeting will bring together governments, multilateral institutions, development finance bodies and private sector partners. These engagements are expected to shape a common roadmap towards the UN Water Conference, co-hosted by Senegal and the United Arab Emirates in December 2026.
For South Africa, the process represents an opportunity to deepen partnerships, attract investment and ensure that global commitments translate into real improvements for communities. By advocating for water as a foundation of dignity and opportunity, the country is reinforcing the role of social innovation and shared value in addressing one of the continent’s most pressing challenges.
As the road to the UN Water Conference unfolds, Africa’s leadership in shaping solutions signals a shift from water as a crisis narrative to water as a catalyst for inclusive growth, resilience and human development.
