Africa's water sector grapples with funding shortage

A quarter of the 1.2 billion population in sub-Saharan Africa have no close source of clean drinking water. PHOTO | PHILL MAGAKOE | AFP

Water utilities and users across Africa are being forced into the innovation lane at a time when water quality infrastructure are deteriorating.

Five years ago, a study by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) revealed that the annual funding gap for infrastructure in sub Saharan Africa sits close to $50 billion, with water alone requiring $11 billion.