By Osa Mbonu-Amadi
Cape Town, March 12, 2026 – Africa’s Green Economy Summit, AGES, 2026 wrapped up in Cape Town last week, delivering a bold roadmap to transform the continent’s climate vulnerabilities into economic wins through digital innovation, smarter water financing, and greener agriculture.
Over four days, more than 600 delegates from 42 countries, including investors, developers, and policymakers, united to push for policies and financial tools that make green ambitions bankable. The summit spotlighted how Africa can leverage its digital boom, rethink water projects, and redesign farming to hit net-zero targets while creating jobs.
Experts kicked off with fresh climate finance ideas like green and blue bonds, the innovative “Rhino Bond,” and biodiversity credits. They stressed involving local communities as partners, not just recipients. Carl Roothman, CEO of Sanlam Investment Group, drove home the need for massive action: “Africa needs billions of dollars. It’s great to dream, but we must act and at scale.”
South Africa’s Deputy Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment, Narend Singh, called for real-world collaboration. He pointed to his country’s Just Energy Transition Partnership, JETP, and renewable energy buys as models, urging Africa to stop exporting raw minerals and build local value chains instead. “A low-hanging fruit is developing local value chains and beneficiating minerals here, creating jobs and advancing technology,” Singh said—a message that hits home for resource-rich Nigeria eyeing downstream processing in its solid minerals sector.
Digital tools emerged as a game-changer for climate resilience. World Bank digital specialist Siddhartha Raja highlighted data centres as “anchor loads” for renewables but warned of risks like e-waste without built-in safeguards. Chrissy Meier of the Digital Impact Alliance flagged a data gap in African cities’ climate plans and cautioned against non-local AI training data. Raja summed it up: “Carpe Digital, seize the digital to make economies more efficient, inclusive, and greener.”
Water projects stole the show in a panel debunking their “uninvestable” label. World Resources Institute Africa’s Obadiah Mungai pushed for better governance and data to attract funds: “How do you convert water outcomes into bankable outputs?” The Nature Conservancy’s Louise Stafford praised Cape Town’s catchment restoration after “Day Zero” as cheaper than desalination, adding, “There is a bigger risk in business as usual than in investing in water.”
On food security, speakers linked stable renewables to reliable irrigation and cold chains. International Water Management Institute’s Henry Roman showcased farmer tools for water optimisation, while I&F Engineering’s Ian de Jager noted that farmers are turning into energy producers via small hydropower. Standard Bank’s Andrea Campher tied it to the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, CBAM,: “Renewable energy strengthens ESG credibility.”
Hosted by VUKA Group, AGES proved climate action can fuel growth when embedded in core systems like energy, agriculture, and water. The next edition runs from March 17-19, 2027, in Cape Town.
VUKA Group, with two decades driving African industry platforms, positions AGES as a hub for green finance and partnerships across energy, mining, and beyond.
