Intensifying small-scale irrigation is an especially urgent imperative for sub-Saharan Africa, where scarce or variable rainfall severely handicaps agriculture, curbing productivity and resilience. The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and its partners have taken bold steps to tackle this challenge, developing business models for irrigation technologies and exerting a positive influence on government policies and on-farm-practices. As a result of these efforts, the time is ripe for major investment.