Execution now Africa’s biggest infrastructure challenge, experts say

Africa's long-standing infrastructure deficit is increasingly defined by a critical challenge: execution. While securing funding has historically been the main hurdle, experts now argue that the continent's ability to deliver projects is the more pressing concern, even as investment commitments grow.

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Africa’s infrastructure opportunity depends on closing the execution gap.

"Africa’s infrastructure opportunity depends on closing the execution gap," stated Lavagnon Ika, Professor of Project Management at the Telfer School of Management. He emphasized that project success is often determined before capital is even deployed. The African Development Bank estimates Africa requires approximately $400 billion annually for its infrastructure needs, spanning transport, energy, water, and digital connectivity. While financing remains vital, strengthening the capacity to develop investment-ready projects that can efficiently absorb capital is paramount.

Governments across Africa have shown increased effectiveness in attracting investor interest, with forums, public-private partnerships, and new financing structures boosting commitments. However, George Asamani, Managing Director of Project Management Institute, Sub-Saharan Africa, cautioned that this progress should not overshadow the vast remaining infrastructure gap. The key, he noted, is transforming investment commitments into "well-prepared, execution-ready and bankable projects."

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While this progress reflects growing ambition across the continent, it should not obscure the scale of Africa’s remaining infrastructure gap.

South Africa serves as a case study for this challenge. Since 2018, the country has attracted over $91 billion in investment pledges through its annual Investment Conferences. Yet, by March 2026, only $38.6 billion had been realized, less than half of the commitments. While a full conversion of pledges to projects is not always expected globally, analysts point to South Africa's conversion rate as a critical indicator of its ability to translate investor interest into tangible economic activity. McKinsey research suggests that globally, 60% to 80% of announced foreign direct investment is typically realized, underscoring the significant obstacles African countries face in moving projects beyond the commitment stage. A major impediment is the scarcity of bankable projects, with many failing due to inadequate feasibility studies, financial structures, regulatory approvals, or risk allocation frameworks, with fewer than 10% of Africa's infrastructure projects reaching financial close.

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The challenge, he added, is ensuring that investment commitments become “well-prepared, execution-ready and bankable projects.”