Improving water governance in South Africa to ensure a water-secure country

South Africa faces a projected 17% gap between water supply and demand by 2030, driven by climate change, population growth, and poor governance. The country's water infrastructure is at significant risk of failure due to reactive maintenance and maladministration, with 41% of municipal water classified as non-revenue water. Governance failures have led to critical risks in wastewater treatment and public health crises, such as the 2023 cholera outbreak in Hammanskraal. The document recommends implementing water conservation measures, developing climate adaptation plans, enhancing governance legislation, and prioritizing infrastructure investment in rural areas.

• South Africa is projected to have a 17% gap between water supply and demand by 2030, with demand expected to rise by 17.7 billion m³ while supply is projected at 15 billion m³.
• Water insecurity is driven by climatic factors, including a mean annual precipitation of 497mm/year, which is nearly 50% lower than the global average of 860mm/year.
• Population growth is increasing water demand; the population is projected to reach 65 to 67 million by 2038, shifting the domestic share of water use to between 30% and 35% of total national use.
• The energy sector exacerbates water stress because coal-based energy production requires significant water, while the water sector is becoming more energy-intensive due to groundwater pumping and inter-basin transfer projects.
• Governance failures and maladministration have led to severe infrastructure delays and public health crises, such as the 2023 cholera outbreak in Hammanskraal caused by the lack of maintenance at the Rooiwal wastewater sewage treatment works.
• Water infrastructure is in a state of decline, with 41% of municipal water classified as non-revenue water (lost to leaks, theft, or metering errors), amounting to approximately 1,660 million m³ annually.
• Official reports indicate critical failures in water quality and wastewater management: 46% of drinking water systems were not microbiologically safe at times during 2022, and 64% of wastewater treatment works are at critical risk.
• There are significant geospatial disparities in infrastructure delivery, with rural areas remaining neglected compared to highly urbanised regions like Gauteng and Western Cape.

APA

Maluleke, L. (2024). Improving water governance in South Africa to ensure a water-secure country. Good Governance Africa. https://digitalmallblobstorage.blob.core.windows.net/wp-content/2024/03/Improving-water-governance-in-SA_PB.pdf

Chicago

Maluleke, Leleti. Improving water governance in South Africa to ensure a water-secure country. Good Governance Africa, 2024. https://digitalmallblobstorage.blob.core.windows.net/wp-content/2024/03/Improving-water-governance-in-SA_PB.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Maluleke |first1=Leleti |title=Improving water governance in South Africa to ensure a water-secure country |publisher=Good Governance Africa |date=March 2024 |url=https://digitalmallblobstorage.blob.core.windows.net/wp-content/2024/03/Improving-water-governance-in-SA_PB.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{maluleke2024improving, author = {Maluleke, Leleti}, title = {{Improving water governance in South Africa to ensure a water-secure country}}, institution = {Good Governance Africa}, year = {2024}, month = mar, url = {https://digitalmallblobstorage.blob.core.windows.net/wp-content/2024/03/Improving-water-governance-in-SA_PB.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }