KEY POINTS
- Green projects across 25 African countries seek $3.09bn in funding.
- Investment pipeline spans renewable energy, agriculture and circular economy.
- Summit aims to connect founders with banks, climate funds and investors.
Green projects in more than 25 African countries are seeking about $3.09 billion in funding. Investors will meet project developers at the Africa Green Economy Summit 2026 in Cape Town.
Organisers say the pipeline includes early stage small and medium enterprises. It also features larger expansion and infrastructure projects. The sectors include renewable energy, waste management, circular economy ventures, sustainable agriculture, the blue economy and nature based solutions.
The summit is expected to attract development finance institutions, commercial banks, venture capital firms and climate focused funds. Many are searching for projects that are ready to scale.
Curated pipeline targets climate solutions
The Africa Green Economy Summit, known as AGES, is designed to move projects into financing. The programme includes pitch sessions and investor briefings. It will also host one to one meetings between founders and financiers.
Organisers say the aim is to speed up transactions. They also want to close funding gaps that have slowed climate projects across Africa.
Elodie Ashdown, Investment Project Lead at VUKA Group, said the summit offers curated deal flow. She said investors can pursue both impact and financial returns.
She highlighted opportunities in decentralised hydrogen production, circular industrial models and resilient food systems. She said blended capital can help scale proven pilot projects into regional industries.
Financing options include catalytic capital and blended finance. Concessional loans and risk mitigation tools are also under discussion. These structures are meant to unlock large scale deployment.
Investor appetite grows across regions
Amanda Ganca, Head of Investment at WESGRO, said African ecosystems are maturing. She noted that investor interest is already translating into manufacturing prospects and skilled jobs in the Western Cape and beyond.
Organisers are urging institutional and strategic investors to move from pledges to real funding commitments. They say catalytic capital can accelerate manufacturing and strengthen supply chains.
Expected participants include multilaterals, climate funds, commercial lenders, asset managers and impact venture capital firms. Some projects are at pilot stage and need seed funding. Others are ready for commercial debt or equity.
Summit backed by public and private partners
The Africa Green Economy Summit is led by the African Union. Sanlam Investments is the title sponsor. Standard Bank is the gold sponsor. Silver sponsors include FSD Africa, Gautrain and UNOPS.
The event is hosted in partnership with the City of Cape Town. Government partners include the Development Bank of Southern Africa, the Gauteng Department of Economic Development and the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition.
Organisers say the $3.09 billion pipeline reflects growing ambition across Africa. They believe economic growth and climate resilience can advance together. Investors meeting in Cape Town will assess projects that promise measurable impact and long term commercial value.
