Africa’s Green Economy Summit Shows Commitment to Key Strategies for Investment-Ready Green Infrastructure Projects

Cape Town, South Africa, December 16, 2022 --(PR.com)-- “Africa is full of potential infrastructure project opportunities in the pipeline. There is a great need and availability of funding to be spent on the continent. We just need to fix that missing link and carry through projects to a financial close to finally close the infrastructure gap.” This is according to Hendrik Malan, CEO and partner at Frost & Sullivan and one of many expert speakers who will address the upcoming Africa’s Green Economy Summit taking place from 22–24 February 2023.

The programme of this investment gathering was announced this week. Africa’s Green Economy Summit is part of the E-Fest Cape Town that will culminate in the Formula E 2023 Cape Town E-Prix race in the same week on 25 February 2023.

As a platform, Africa’s Green Economy Summit will bring together investors, developers and governments, highlighting investment prospects that exist in the fields of green hydrogen, EVs and hybrid vehicles, energy storage, solar, hydro and wind energy, infrastructure development, urban sustainability as well as manufacturing.

Infrastructure investment opportunities
Recently, at COP27 in Egypt, Frost and Sullivan presented a report on “Showcasing AFRICA’S Investable Infrastructure Opportunities.” According to the report, African governments’ progress has been too slow and inconsistent at regional and at certain industry levels towards achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the corresponding African Union’s Agenda 2063 goals in their national strategies and development plans.

Key challenges identified include i) the absence of long-term master plans, ii) poorly conducted feasibility studies and business plans and iii) delays in obtaining licenses or permits and poor coordination between government agencies. However, Frost & Sullivan state that, in mitigation of these issues, African governments have been working on master plans, such as the hydrogen roadmaps, as well as establishing task force teams to fast-track processes and aid developers along the entire infrastructure development cycle.

Getting projects investment-ready
“While we know that challenges exist, the estimated $2.5 trillion gap of annual funding needed is an indication of the investment opportunities available for Africa’s accelerated adoption of renewable energy, clean transport and clean technologies, such as green hydrogen, driving social change and development,” says Emmanuelle Nicholls, Project Lead of Africa’s Green Economy Summit.

“Africa's Green Economy Summit will showcase and present African cities, people and projects that are committed to the strategies needed to build a green economy and making projects investment-ready. The industry has responded with excitement to our very practical and pragmatic programme for next year’s launch event. The fact that technology and investment pioneers, such as ABB and the AfDB (African Development Bank), have partnered with the entire E-Fest in Cape Town in February next year is a valuable vote of confidence in the future of African infrastructure investment.”

Expert and keynote speakers on the programme from South Africa, Kenya, Rwanda, Côte d’Ivoire and the DRC that have been confirmed so far include:

- Hon. Clare Akamanzi, Chief Executive Officer, Rwanda Development Board, Rwanda
- Lisa Pinsley, Partner, Head of Middle East & Africa, Energy, Actis, South Africa
- Dr. Hubert Danso, Chief Executive Officer, Africa Investor, South Africa
- Alan Winde, Premier, Western Cape Province, South Africa
- Vuyo Hlompho Ntoi, Joint Managing Director, African Infrastructure Investment Managers (AIIM), South Africa
- Teddy Mugabo, Fonerwa Rwanda Green Fund, Rwanda
- Geordin Hill-Lewis, Executive Mayor, City of Cape Town, South Africa
- Olympus Manthata, Head of Climate and Environmental Finance, DBSA, South Africa
- Joanne Bate, Chief Operating Officer, IDC, South Africa
- Shameela Soobramoney, Chief Sustainability Officer, JSE Green Bond, South Africa
- MEC Mireille Wenger, Western Cape Provincial Minister of Finance and Economic Opportunities, South Africa
- Hendrik Malan, Partner and Africa CEO, Frost & Sullivan, South Africa
- Hastings Chikoko, Director of Regions & Mayoral Engagement & Regional Director for Africa, C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, South Africa
- Michelle Defreese, Senior Officer, The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), Rwanda
- Lisa Walker, Director, Energy Office, Power Africa, South Africa
- Greg Blandford, Director of Energy and E-Mobility, Rubicon, South Africa
- Bodom Matungu, Technical Adviser, Transport Infrastructures and Urban Transport, Office of the Special Adviser, Head of State for Investments, DRC
- Toukam Ngoufanke, Senior Venture Builder, Persistent Energy, Kenya

The Africa’s Green Economy Summit programme’s main session themes and highlights include:

* Creating a favourable regulatory economy towards sustainability and equity.
* Transforming urban mobility: Ground-breaking projects that are leading the charge.
* Increasing clean energy capital flows to African markets: Creating a pipeline for investors.
* Green industrialisation: Localising production and scaling manufacturing in Africa.
* Building climate resilient cities and sustainable infrastructure systems in Africa.
* Blending finance to scale up solutions: DFIs, public finance, green funds and green bonds.
* The ESG investment boom: Initiatives, funding available and what investors are looking for.