Project execution, not just financing, is Africa's biggest infrastructure challenge, experts say

Africa's infrastructure development is increasingly hampered by a lack of project execution rather than insufficient financing, according to experts. While the continent requires an estimated $400 billion annually for infrastructure, the challenge has shifted from securing capital to effectively delivering projects. Professor of Project Management, Lavagnon Ika, states that project success is often determined before capital is spent. George Asamani, Managing Director, Project Management Institute, Sub-Saharan Africa, notes that despite growing investor interest and commitments, a significant gap remains between pledges and actual implementation. For instance, South Africa has attracted over $91 billion in investment pledges since 2018, but only $38.6 billion had flowed into the economy by March 2026. A major obstacle is the shortage of "bankable projects," with McKinsey research indicating that fewer than 10% of Africa's infrastructure projects reach financial close due to inadequate feasibility studies, financial structures, and regulatory approvals. Experts emphasize that successful infrastructure delivery requires extensive preparation, including engineering assessments, environmental evaluations, and legal reviews, before financing is deployed. Weaknesses in these early stages can cause significant delays or make projects unattractive to investors. The Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa PIDA has made progress, but early-stage project preparation capacity r