Webinar not to be missed | Digitalization and Innovation: Accelerators of Performance for Water and Sanitation Services in Africa

1. Background and Rationale

In an African context characterized by rapid population growth, accelerated urbanization, and persistent financial constraints, water and sanitation services face major structural challenges, including high levels of water losses, weak revenue collection, unequal access to services, and, in some cases, governance limitations.

At the same time, the emergence of digital technologies such as smart metering, artificial intelligence, big data, digital platforms, and the Internet of Things (IoT) offers unprecedented opportunities to improve operational efficiency, strengthen customer relationships, optimize resource management, and support data-driven decision-making.

However, despite these opportunities, the adoption of digitalization remains uneven across Africa due to technical, financial, institutional, and human capacity constraints.

This webinar therefore aims to create a strategic dialogue platform bringing together decision-makers, operators, technical and financial partners, and innovation stakeholders, to identify concrete levers to accelerate the digital transformation of the sector.

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2. Webinar Objectives

General Objective

To highlight the role of digitalization and innovation as key drivers for improving the performance of water and sanitation services in Africa.

Specific Objectives

• Identify high-impact technologies for the sector;
• Share successful African and international experiences;
• Analyze the success factors of digital transformation;
• Explore business models and financing mechanisms for innovation;
• Formulate operational recommendations for service providers.

3. Webinar Format

• Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
• Format:
  • Introduction and moderation: 10 minutes
  • Keynote speech: 10 minutes
  • Panel discussion with three panelists: 40 minutes
  • Q&A session with the audience: 30 minutes

4. Keynote Speaker Intervention

Proposed Title:
“Transforming Water Services in Africa: From Physical Networks to Smart Networks”

5. Panel Structure

Panelist 1: Operator (Water Utility)

Theme: Digitalization of operations as a lever for technical and commercial performance

Positioning:
This panelist will provide practical field experience, particularly in reducing non-revenue water, billing, customer relations, and operations.

Panelist 2: Innovation/Technology Actor (Start-up, Tech Company, Technical Partner)

Theme: Emerging technologies and digital solutions adapted to African realities

Positioning:
This panelist will bring an innovation-driven perspective, focusing on solutions such as IoT, AI, GIS, mobile money, smart metering, and digital platforms.

Panelist 3: Financial Institution / Regulator / Development Partner (AfDB, World Bank, Regulator, Government)

Theme: Financing, governance, and institutional frameworks for digital transformation

Positioning:
This panelist will provide a macro-level perspective on digitalization challenges related to financing, public policies, regulation, and service bankability.

6. Strategic Relevance of the Theme

This theme is of major strategic importance for the African water and sanitation sector, as it directly contributes to improving service performance. Digitalization significantly reduces non-revenue water, optimizes technical and commercial operations, improves revenue collection rates, and enhances service quality for users. It also promotes decentralized solutions and strengthens financial inclusion through mobile payment systems, making technology a powerful tool for social equity.

Furthermore, digital transformation strengthens governance and transparency through real-time performance monitoring, operational traceability, and data-driven decision-making tools. It marks a shift from intuitive management to structured, performance-oriented management.

In addition, digitalization enhances the financial attractiveness of operators by improving their credibility, structure, and visibility to technical and financial partners. It thus becomes a key lever for mobilizing investments by strengthening service bankability.

Finally, this theme opens significant opportunities for Africa to position itself on the global stage as a hub for frugal innovation, capable of developing solutions tailored to constrained environments while inspiring other regions. This represents a genuine opportunity for continental leadership based on innovation, adaptability, and resilience.

7. Expected Outcomes

• Improved understanding of digitalization challenges and opportunities in the sector;
• Concrete recommendations for operators;
• Identification of collaboration and partnership opportunities;
• Strengthening of a digital transformation dynamic within the AAEA network.

Register now : https://bit.ly/4cfhEdq