Unlocking Africa's potential: Infrastructure Africa 2026 becomes reality

Source: Supplied.

At the heart of the G20’s 2025 agenda was the Ubuntu Legacy Initiative, a landmark effort designed to drive the expansion of cross-border infrastructure in Africa.

Launched under the Infrastructure Working Group (IWG) and backed by the African Development Bank (AfDB), the World Bank, and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), this initiative centres on a Toolkit for Developing Cross‑Border Infrastructure to help nations overcome barriers to planning, financing, and implementing complex regional projects.

The IWG’s final meeting, held in Cape Town in September 2025, reaffirmed its priorities around building an investable pipeline, scaling blended-finance solutions, and delivering transformative regional infrastructure — all core themes that will be brought into sharp focus at Infrastructure Africa 2026.

Why Infrastructure Africa 2026 matters today:

• Aligning with G20 legacy: The summit provides a strategic platform to translate the Ubuntu initiative’s ambition into action. By hosting a deep dive into the Toolkit’s four pillars — data, pipeline generation, governance, and innovative financing — the event will catalyse concrete commitments.
• Mobilising blended finance: With the IWG calling for scaled-up private-sector participation via de-risking instruments, the summit will bring together MDBs, insurers, guarantee providers, and African governments to structure blended-finance deals that spur real infrastructure investment.
• integration & cross‑border projects: One of the Ubuntu Initiative’s guiding visions — building roads, rail, bridges, and power infrastructure across borders — mirrors the goals of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Infrastructure Africa 2026 is uniquely positioned to facilitate that integration.
• Legacy for the future: The G20’s Africa Engagement Framework (AEF) 2026–2030 was adopted at the G20 Finance Ministers meeting in October 2025. This framework aligns closely with the summit’s goals, and Infrastructure Africa will contribute to shaping its implementation by positioning infrastructure as a key driver of Africa’s growth.

"Infrastructure Africa 2026 represents more than just a conference — it is where Africa’s G20 legacy becomes real infrastructure on the ground," commented Liz Hart, managing director of Infrastructure Africa.