Africa’s infrastructure investment landscape set to evolve at AVCA’s annual summit in Johannesburg

Business a.m.

The African Private Capital Association (AVCA), in partnership with industry leaders, will host the 20th Annual AVCA Conference & VC Summit in Johannesburg from April 22 to 26. The highly anticipated gathering is expected to bring together key players in Africa’s private capital landscape, including development finance institutions, institutional investors, private investors, policymakers, experts, and other stakeholders, to discuss the current state of the continent’s private capital ecosystem and how it can attract the necessary investment to drive future growth.

In advance of the annual AVCA Conference & VC Summit, the African Private Capital Association and the African Infrastructure Development Association (AfiDA) will co-host a highly anticipated roundtable session titled “Infrastructure Africa Needs.” This exclusive discussion, which will take place prior to the main event, aims to continue the ongoing dialogue between investors, financiers, and industry leaders about the opportunities and challenges associated with scaling up investment in African infrastructure.

Despite significant strides in funding for Africa’s infrastructure, AVCA’s latest report highlights the stark reality that the continent’s infrastructure funding gap remains a staggering $100 billion. Against this backdrop, the roundtable session titled “Infrastructure Africa Needs” aims to provide a platform for policymakers, investors, and industry experts to exchange ideas and insights on how best to bridge the funding gap and unlock the continent’s growth potential through strategic investments in infrastructure.

The roundtable follows South Africa’s government launching the South African Construction Book, listing opportunities for private investment in the country’s infrastructure sector and details of projects ready for procurement. The local market presents tremendous opportunities for infrastructure investors to address the scale of the deficit, fulfil the government’s ambition to roll out critical infrastructure and unlock R1 trillion in new infrastructure investments.

Amidst the challenge of frequent power outages, South Africa has introduced renewable energy independent power producer (IPP) frameworks to encourage private investors to build wind and solar plants that will feed into the grid. This is a transformative action carried in many African countries, as governments turn to private capital to accelerate the clean energy transition. Infrastructure development in power, transportation and logistics is vital for processing critical minerals and can open up value chains that create a mass of local jobs and elevate Africa’s competitiveness in global trade.

The roundtable session, “Infrastructure Africa Needs,” will feature a lineup of influential industry players, including Africa50, African Infrastructure Investment Managers, ARM-Harith Infrastructure Fund Managers, British International Investment, Old Mutual Alternative Investments, Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), Infrastructure South Africa, Inspired Evolution, Convergence Partners, Africa Finance Institution, Meridiam, among others, who will take centre stage on Monday, 22nd April 2024.”

Abi Mustapha-Maduakor, AVCA’s CEO, expressed enthusiasm for the upcoming event, seeing it as pivotal moments for the continent’s infrastructure investment landscape. With innovative financing mechanisms, such as blended finance and private credit solutions, gaining traction, Mustapha-Maduakor anticipates that the conference will provide a platform for participants to explore new streams of capital and identify potential avenues for investment.

He added  that the roundtable and conference in Johannesburg will bring together key stakeholders, creating new ways to grow the pipeline of bankable projects and increase private sector participation in the years to come.