Africa targets USD5 billion project pipeline as Green Economy Summit returns to Cape Town for fourth edition

December 1, 2025 in Finance, Land & Agriculture by Editor

Cape Town will host the fourth Africa’s Green Economy Summit in February 2026, bringing together global investors, innovators and policymakers to unlock a USD 5 billion pipeline of climate and nature-positive projects in the wake of COP30.

Africa’s transition to a climate-resilient, low-carbon future will take centre-stage during the fourth edition of the Africa’s Green Economy Summit (AGES), set for 24–27 February 2026 at Cape Town’s Century City Conference Centre. Powered by lead partner Sanlam Investments, the organisers say the event reflects a shared commitment to accelerating investment into Africa’s green and blue economies at a pivotal moment for global climate action.

Organised by the VUKA Group under the theme “From Ambition to Action: Scaling Investment in Africa’s Green and Blue Solutions,” and coming on the back of COP 30, AGES 2026 aims to mobilise climate-aligned capital for the continent’s most urgent development needs. More than 580 delegates, over 150 investors and some 200 project developers are expected to participate, signalling growing interest in a project pipeline valued at an estimated USD 5 billion. These opportunities span renewable energy, sustainable infrastructure, climate-smart agriculture, digital climate intelligence, adaptation innovations and emerging climate-finance platforms.

“Africa stands at the frontier of both climate risk and innovation,” says According to Emmanuelle Nicholls, Portfolio Director for the Green Economy at the VUKA Group. “AGES exists to bridge that gap by connecting scalable, investment-ready projects with partners who can finance measurable impact.”

This year’s agenda mirrors the momentum and strategic shifts emerging from COP30, where governments and institutions prioritised scaling climate and nature finance, advancing structural reforms and strengthening country platforms capable of turning national climate plans into bankable pipelines. With rising global attention on biodiversity, nature-credit mechanisms and the rapid integration of digital MRV and AI-based climate intelligence, AGES 2026 will explore the tools shaping the future of climate investment on the continent.

Sessions will delve into areas including Article 6 cooperation, nature and biodiversity finance, resilient water and city systems, industrial decarbonisation and the digital technologies improving trust, transparency and climate-data integrity. Collectively, these conversations position African stakeholders to design credible, investment-ready pathways for a just and nature-positive transition.

This year’s speakers represent some of the most influential voices in climate finance and policy. Among them are Barbara Buchner of the Climate Policy Initiative; Catherine-Candice Koffman of the Green Climate Fund; Dorah Modise of the Presidential Climate Commission; Climate Fund Managers CEO Andrew Johnstone; IPBES Chair David Obura; and Matsi Modise of the World Climate Foundation. Their participation reflects the depth of expertise shaping Africa’s climate response and financial architecture.

A defining component of AGES 2026 is the Investment Pitch and Showcase Programme, which returns with 40 rigorously vetted projects presented directly to investors. They include proposals in renewable energy, battery storage, climate-resilient water and irrigation systems, electric mobility, waste-to-value innovation, circular economy ventures and agricultural resilience technologies. The projects range from early-stage concepts worth USD 1 million to industrial-scale undertakings exceeding USD 100 million, attracting interest from development finance institutions, venture capital firms, commercial banks, blended-finance platforms and corporate climate-investment vehicles.

Delegates will also participate in technical site visits across Cape Town, offering firsthand insight into how climate-aligned investments translate into jobs, enterprise growth and long-term resilience.

AGES 2026 is supported by a broad coalition of continental and global partners. Alongside Sanlam Investments, these include the Global Green Growth Institute, Climate Policy Initiative, Convergence, Wesgro, the City of Cape Town, regional policymakers, municipal authorities and leading private-sector sustainability actors. Their involvement ensures that the Summit is not a standalone convening, but part of year-round capital mobilisation efforts.

As competition for climate finance intensifies, AGES 2026 is seen as platform for Africa to articulate its investment priorities with clarity and ambition, grounded in national policy frameworks, a growing innovation ecosystem and the continent’s vast natural and human capital. With five years remaining in the UN SDG decade of action, the Summit is being seen as both a milestone and a measure of Africa’s readiness to convert climate ambition into investable, scalable and transformative action.