Aqua Africa
Aqua Africa is a UK-headquartered social-impact company deploying solar-powered Nano-filtration water systems and "pay-as-you-fetch" smart metering, delivering turnkey climate-smart water infrastructure projects to governments across Africa, anchored by a €30M contract with the Government of Ghana.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersWinchester, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Aqua Africa does
Aqua Africa Limited is a UK-incorporated private social-impact company, founded in 2014 by Philip Foster and headquartered in Winchester, with operational support in Accra, Ghana. It designs and deploys climate-smart, off-grid water infrastructure targeting rural and peri-urban communities lacking access to safe drinking water, with a stated mission to reach 10 million people across Africa. Its core technology combines H2Go's R1 Nano-Filtration units (which remove 99.999% of bacteria without electricity, chemicals, or UV treatment) with solar-powered pumping systems and an integrated "pay-as-you-fetch" smart metering / cashless payment system that the company has secured exclusive distribution rights for across Ghana and West Africa. The integrated R1 + cashless payments solution is Aqua Africa-designed and exclusive to its installations.
Aqua Africa sells through an enterprise/government field-sales motion, acting as prime contractor on turnkey infrastructure projects delivered in partnership with Grundfos (pumps), Bigen Africa (engineering), and ASGC (construction). Its first commercial project is the Rural Communities and Small Towns Water Supply Project for the Government of Ghana — a €30M contract covering 162 locations (150 rural Nano-filtration sites and 12 small-town piped systems) targeting 225,000–280,000 beneficiaries, financed by Africa's first LMA-accredited Green Loan (€35M, 85% UK Export Finance / 15% HSBC). The company monetises via project delivery fees on government contracts and ongoing water tariff revenue collected through cashless payment systems at deployed sites. Following the Ghana precedent, UKEF and UK DIT are directing Aqua Africa into Ivory Coast, Kenya, South Africa, and Botswana, and Hitech Construction Africa invested in November 2025 to scale to 10 million beneficiaries across Africa within five years.
Aqua Africa firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Aqua Africa
- Legal name
- Aqua Africa Limited
- Website
- https://aquaafrica.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Aqua Africa is a UK-headquartered social-impact company deploying solar-powered Nano-filtration water systems and "pay-as-you-fetch" smart metering, delivering turnkey climate-smart water infrastructure projects to governments across Africa, anchored by a €30M contract with the Government of Ghana.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Aqua Africa industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Water Infrastructure Services
- NAICS
- Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (221310), Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (22131)
- SIC
- Water Supply (4941), Water, Sewer, Pipeline, Comm & Power Line Construction (1623)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) (BPAGABAC)
Keywords
Where Aqua Africa is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Winchester
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Aqua Africa business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Government Infrastructure Contracts: Aqua Africa secures large-scale government contracts for water infrastructure delivery. The first project with the Government of Ghana has a contract value of €30 million, providing water to rural communities and small towns. Revenue is generated through project delivery fees under government procurement agreements.
- Water Sales and Tariff Revenue: The project generates tariff revenue from water sales using smart metering or cashless payment systems. Communities pay for water access through the 'pay as you fetch' model, creating ongoing revenue streams for sustainable water service management.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Aqua Africa product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Aqua Africa designs, finances, and delivers climate-smart, off-grid water infrastructure for rural and small-town communities across Africa, anchored on R1 Nano-filtration units, solar-powered pumping, and an integrated "pay-as-you-fetch" smart-metering/cashless payment revenue system. Its flagship offering is the turnkey Rural Communities and Small Towns Water Supply Project for the Government of Ghana, deployed via a €30 million green-financed contract across 162 locations.
Product overview
Aqua Africa offers a climate-smart water infrastructure platform combining nano-filtration technology, solar-powered pumping, and smart metering payment systems. The core portfolio includes R1 Nano-Filtration units that provide 99.999% bacteria removal without electricity, off-grid solar pumping infrastructure, and the Pay-As-You-Fetch cashless payment system for revenue collection. These products are deployed as turnkey solutions: standalone nano-filtration sites for rural communities and comprehensive piped water systems for small towns, all supporting Ghana's 'Water for All' policy and UN SDG 6.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- R1 Nano-Filtration Water System A standalone nano-filtration unit designed to remove 99.999% of bacteria and impurities from contaminated water sources, providing safe, clean drinking water to rural communities without electricity, chemical additives, or ultraviolet treatments. Deployed for government clients and rural communities off-grid.
- Pay-As-You-Fetch Revenue System An integrated revenue-capturing cashless payment / smart metering system that enables pay-per-use water access, safeguards proceeds, and creates efficient management solutions for sustainable water service delivery in beneficiary communities.
- Solar-Powered Pumping Infrastructure Off-grid solar power systems that pump water from sources such as rivers, streams, tube wells, and gravity feeds to supply Nano-filtration units and piped water distribution systems in rural and peri-urban communities without electrical-grid infrastructure.
- Rural Communities Water Supply Solution Point source and piped water systems targeting 150 rural locations serving approximately 90,000 people, featuring standalone Nano-filtration sites with off-grid solar power and integrated revenue collection (turnkey turnkey delivery for government).
- Small Town Water Supply System Comprehensive piped water distribution infrastructure for 12 small towns covering approximately 192,000 people, including solar-powered pumping, Nano-filtration, and direct household or community standpipe connections (turnkey delivery for government).
Quantifiable outcome
- 10 million+ litres of clean water delivered
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Aqua Africa
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Aqua Africa technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Aqua Africa partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Hitech Construction Africa (RN14 Project)minorHitech Construction Africa developed a new borehole in Nigbaoudè, Togo as part of the RN14 infrastructure project, providing safe water access to nearly 500 residents and supporting Togo's goal of 100% access to safe water and sanitation by 2030.
- Ghana Investment Promotion Center (GIPC)coreGIPC facilitated the partnership between Ghana and UK, working with Aqua Africa to see the project through. CEO Yofi Grant expressed strong support for the collaborative effort in delivering Ghana's SDG agenda.
- ELITEminorInternational business support and capital raising programme for ambitious companies. Aqua Africa gained a place on the ELITE programme to grow and improve its business strategy and planning.
- Smith & WilliamsonminorLeading UK investment management and accounting firm with over 1,700 people in 12 offices. Aqua Africa works with Smith & Williamson for maximum efficiency and compliance in financial strategy.
- FieldfisherminorEuropean law firm with market-leading practices in technology, financial services, energy and life sciences. Aqua Africa works with Fieldfisher to ensure legal compliance in all areas of work.
- Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources (MSWR)coreMSWR is the Ghana government ministry responsible for water and sanitation. Aqua Africa and MSWR signed a supply contract in August 2019 for a project to provide clean drinking water to rural communities and small towns, alleviating up to 280,000 people from daily water poverty and delivering on the 'Water for All' policy.
- Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA)coreCWSA is the lead public agency for rural water and sanitation in Ghana. Aqua Africa has been working in partnership with CWSA to design and develop projects to provide potable water to rural communities and small towns. Projects are implemented in Ashanti, Eastern, Greater Accra, Volta and Oti regions.
- ASGCminorDubai-based construction conglomerate with proven track record in major construction projects. ASGC has experience arranging UK Export Finance supported loan facilities and is known for turnkey projects in the UAE including the Dubai Arena and Etihad Museum.
- Bigen AfricaminorSouth African infrastructure development company founded in 1971 with over 400 employees and 14 offices throughout Africa. Bigen's Water Directorate provides world class sustainable water services solutions. To date their water sector work has benefited over 12 million people across sub-Saharan Africa.
- H2Go GlobalcoreH2Go UK has extensive experience in water filter design, manufacturing and export with sustainable technology that provides 99.999% clean sterile drinking water without electricity, chemicals or UV treatments. Aqua Africa has secured full exclusivity contracts for the Aqua Africa designed integrated R1 Nano-filtration/cashless payments system for all installations. H2Go has installed over 10,000 R1 units in 7,000+ rural villages in Malaysia.
- GrundfoscoreGlobal leader in advanced pump solutions and water technology. Grundfos Ghana is the business hub for West Africa covering 15 ECOWAS countries. Grundfos has served the Ghanaian market for over three decades and is committed to green solutions helping partners achieve UN SDGs.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Aqua Africa competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Drinkwell: Deploys water ATMs in Bangladesh and South Asia using pay-per-use smart cards, with a revenue model and beneficiary profile that closely mirror Aqua Africa's 'pay-as-you-fetch' cashless water stations.
- WaterHealth International: Operates decentralized, community-scale water purification systems in India and Africa, combining low-cost filtration with pay-per-use revenue models. Highly comparable to Aqua Africa's solar-powered, tariff-based rural water stations serving underserved populations.
- WaterAid: Major international NGO focused on WASH (water, sanitation, hygiene) across Africa and Asia. Operates in the same SDG 6 space as Aqua Africa, addressing the same beneficiary populations and donor ecosystems, though via a non-profit model.
- H2Go Global: UK-based manufacturer of the R1 Nano-filtration units that Aqua Africa distributes exclusively in Ghana and West Africa; has installed over 10,000 units across 7,000+ Malaysian villages. Same core technology, overlapping customer base in low-income rural water markets.
- Lifesaver Systems: Original UK nano-filtration technology company whose products Aqua Africa negotiated exclusive distribution rights for in Ghana and West Africa. Same technology lineage and water-purification use case for off-grid, emergency, and humanitarian applications.
Broad incumbents
- Xylem: Global water technology major offering pumps, treatment, and smart metering solutions across commercial, industrial, and utility markets. Overlaps with Aqua Africa in filtration and metering, but at very different scale and primarily serving municipal/industrial customers.
- Grundfos: Global leader in advanced pump solutions and water technology with three decades of Ghana and West Africa presence. Strategic technology partner of Aqua Africa, supplying pumping infrastructure that Aqua Africa integrates into its rural water systems.
- Veolia: Global water and waste utility operator with extensive African and emerging-market footprint, including social-impact and access programs. Comparable in addressing water access for underserved populations but as part of a much broader utility and services portfolio.
Regional players
- Bigen Africa: South African infrastructure development firm with a dedicated Water Directorate, benefiting over 12 million people across sub-Saharan Africa. Implementation partner to Aqua Africa on the Ghana project, with deep regional delivery capability.
- Davis & Shirtliff: East Africa's leading water equipment supplier with operations across Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and beyond. Comparable to Aqua Africa in serving off-grid and rural water users with solar pumping and treatment equipment, though primarily in East Africa.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks1 record
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Aqua Africa social profiles
Digital presenceAqua Africa financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Aqua Africa leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles16 records
Aqua Africa funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Aqua Africa M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Aqua Africa
What does Aqua Africa do?
Aqua Africa designs, finances, and delivers climate-smart, off-grid water infrastructure for rural and small-town communities across Africa, anchored on R1 Nano-filtration units, solar-powered pumping, and an integrated "pay-as-you-fetch" smart-metering/cashless payment revenue system. Its flagship offering is the turnkey Rural Communities and Small Towns Water Supply Project for the Government of Ghana, deployed via a €30 million green-financed contract across 162 locations.
Is Aqua Africa a public or private company?
Aqua Africa is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Aqua Africa founded?
Aqua Africa was founded in 2014. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Aqua Africa based?
Aqua Africa is headquartered in Winchester, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Aqua Africa make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Government Infrastructure Contracts are the primary driver. The others are water Sales and Tariff Revenue.
Who are Aqua Africa's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Drinkwell, WaterHealth International, WaterAid, H2Go Global and Lifesaver Systems. Broad incumbents are Xylem, Grundfos and Veolia. Regional players are Bigen Africa and Davis & Shirtliff.
Does Aqua Africa have an API?
No public API is recorded for Aqua Africa.
What industry is Aqua Africa in?
Aqua Africa's product category is Water Infrastructure Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGABAC, Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH). Its NAICS code is 221310 and its SIC code is 4941.