The National Treasury of South Africa and the African Development Bank Group jointly hosted the first consultative meeting on “South Africa’s Legacy Initiative to Accelerate Cross-Border Infrastructure in Africa: The Ubuntu Approach.” This initiative aligns with South Africa’s contribution to the G20 Infrastructure Working Group and introduces a Toolkit designed to help African countries and regions overcome challenges in planning, financing, and managing cross-border infrastructure. The Toolkit was developed in collaboration with the African Development Bank, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, and the World Bank.
The meeting provided a platform for representatives from African nations and regional economic communities to better understand the Ubuntu Initiative and offer insights on how to enhance its implementation. Held in a hybrid format with in-person participation in Pretoria, the event brought together senior officials from 15 African countries, the African Union Commission, eight AU-recognized regional economic communities, and AUDA-NEPAD.
Key discussions focused on four pillars of the Ubuntu Initiative. First, the Data pillar aims to update Africa’s cross-border infrastructure gap by reflecting post-COVID realities and climate resilience needs. Second, the Pipeline Generation pillar focuses on identifying impactful, investable infrastructure projects to attract private financing. Third, the Governance Concilium proposes an expert advisory body to support governance and capacity building. Lastly, the Innovative Financing pillar emphasizes using diverse financial tools—such as PPPs, infrastructure bonds, and guarantees—to accelerate project implementation while leveraging the role of development banks in de-risking investments.
Participants expressed strong support for the initiative, emphasizing the importance of leveraging existing tools and methodologies to avoid duplication. The Ubuntu Initiative is set to incorporate successful mechanisms like the NEPAD Infrastructure Projects Preparation Facility and the Infrastructure Consortium for Africa to strengthen its operational capacity and credibility with international stakeholders.
Ultimately, the Ubuntu Initiative seeks to foster regional cooperation and economic integration, aligning with Africa’s broader vision of achieving peace, prosperity, and self-driven growth. The outcomes of the consultative meeting will guide the creation of a concrete action plan, with follow-up engagement planned for September 2025 during the next Infrastructure Working Group meeting. This event will be more inclusive, with further details to be announced.
The meeting took place under South Africa’s G20 presidency, where its National Treasury co-chairs the G20 Finance Track and leads the Infrastructure Working Group. The African Development Bank, as a co-author of the Toolkit, reaffirmed its commitment to the initiative’s goals.
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