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

This policy brief by Good Governance Africa examines the drivers of water insecurity in South Africa, the state of its water infrastructure, and the governance failures contributing to the crisis. It calls for immediate action to improve asset management, address climate change risks, and ensure equitable water access, particularly in rural areas.

• South Africa faces a significant projected gap between water supply and demand by 2030. Demand is expected to increase by 17.7 billion m³, while supply is projected at 15 billion m³, resulting in a 17% gap.
• Water insecurity is driven by a combination of climatic, demographic, and environmental factors. South Africa's mean annual precipitation of 497mm/year is nearly 50% lower than the global average of 860mm/year. Additionally, population growth is expected to reach 65 to 67 million people by 2038, increasing the domestic share of water use to between 30% and 35%. Environmental degradation, specifically from invasive alien plants and the destruction of over half of the country's 120,000 known wetlands, further reduces water storage and runoff.
• The energy sector significantly exacerbates water stress due to a heavy reliance on coal combustion, which requires large volumes of water and causes pollution. Conversely, the water sector is becoming more energy-intensive due to the needs of groundwater pumping and large-scale inter-basin water transfer projects.
• Governance failures, including corruption, incompetence, and fragmented coordination, have led to severe water crises and infrastructure decay. A notable example is the 2023 Cholera outbreak in Hammanskraal, attributed to the lack of maintenance at the Rooiwal wastewater sewage treatment works. Strategic projects have also suffered long delays: the Lesotho Highlands Water Project Phase II has been delayed over 5 years, and the Giyani water project has been halted for 10 years due to maladministration.
• South Africa's water infrastructure is characterized by high losses and regional disparities. Approximately 41% of water in municipal systems is 'non-revenue water' (lost to leaks, theft, or metering errors), totaling roughly 1,660 million m³ annually with a value exceeding $9.9 billion. Infrastructure delivery is skewed toward urbanized areas like Gauteng and Western Cape, leaving rural areas neglected.
• Regulatory reports indicate a critical decline in the safety and efficiency of water systems. The 2022/2023 Blue Drop report found that drinking water was not microbiologically safe in 46% of systems at times during 2022. The Green Drop report indicates that 64% of wastewater treatment works are at critical risk.

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} }