Africa’s energy and water sectors continue to generate a steady stream of project announcements and development pipelines, but investors say too many proposals still fail to progress to the financing stage due to weak project preparation and structural gaps.
Industry leaders say the challenge facing the continent is not a shortage of infrastructure ambitions, but the slow pace at which projects become investable. Investors, development finance institutions (DFIs) and lenders frequently report that many opportunities reach them too early, lacking the clarity, documentation and risk structure needed to support full due diligence.
Developers often face a different reality. Many are navigating complex permitting systems, uncertain offtake agreements and grid capacity limitations that complicate efforts to move projects toward financial close.
These challenges, combined with currency volatility and evolving regulatory environments, slow decision-making and delay infrastructure delivery.
Experts say most projects do not stall because of untested technologies, but rather because key financial and operational fundamentals remain unresolved. Critical issues typically include revenue certainty, such as tariff structures and creditworthiness of offtakers, as well as grid connection capacity and timelines for transmission expansion.
Other bottlenecks include land acquisition and permitting processes, clarity on how risks are shared between governments, developers and financiers, and whether projects have reached sufficient preparation maturity. Without credible timelines, governance structures and comprehensive project data, investors often struggle to move quickly.
To address these gaps, the Project & Investment Network (P&IN) initiative at Enlit Africa aims to create a more structured platform for connecting developers with investors.
Rather than relying on general networking, P&IN focuses on structured matchmaking that aligns investor mandates with specific project characteristics.
Organisers say the goal is to ensure decision-makers engage in targeted discussions supported by relevant data and clear project readiness indicators.
A key highlight will be a business breakfast scheduled for May 19, where industry participants will examine how small structural or programmatic changes can significantly accelerate the path from project concept to bankable investment.
The initiative will also feature curated project briefings and dialogues with utilities, government representatives and financiers designed to identify delivery constraints and define practical next steps toward financial close.
With Africa’s infrastructure challenges increasingly becoming delivery challenges, organisers say the need for investable, well-structured projects has never been greater.
Enlit Africa will take place from May 19 to 21, 2026 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, bringing together energy, water and infrastructure stakeholders seeking to turn project ambition into bankable opportunities.