Replicable water stewardship projects for investment and collaboration

This industry brief by GreenCape highlights replicable water stewardship projects in South Africa, specifically in the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. It showcases the effectiveness of nature-based solutions, such as invasive alien plant clearing by the Greater Cape Town Water Fund, and infrastructure improvements like leak repairs in schools funded by an FMCG company. The document advocates for public-private partnerships to enhance water security and resilience.

• The Greater Cape Town Water Fund (GCTWF), a public-private partnership led by The Nature Conservancy (TNC), uses nature-based solutions (NbS) to secure water supply. By clearing and maintaining 40,027 hectares of invasive alien plants (IAPs) in the Western Cape Water Supply System (WCWSS) and other areas, the project increased streamflow by 34.5 Mm³ per year. The initiative created 1,344 green jobs, with approximately 50% held by women and 24% by youth.
• The uMhlathuze Water Stewardship Partnership (uWASP) in KwaZulu-Natal, co-initiated by WWF South Africa and partners including Mondi, GIZ, and the National Business Initiative (NBI), focuses on collective catchment management. Key activities include the uMhlathuze Catchment Management Forum, a multi-stakeholder IAP strategy, and collaborations with farmers on irrigation management and wetland rehabilitation.
• A partnership between WWF South Africa and CHEP in the uMzimkhulu catchment of KwaZulu-Natal delivered social and environmental benefits over an 18-month period starting in June 2023. Outcomes included training 615 farmers in sustainable rangeland practices, providing potable water access to approximately 1,435 individuals across 287 households in the Ndawana community via spring protection, and the formal protection of nearly 2,000 hectares of critical land.
• An FMCG company partnered with Water Resource Planning (WRP) in 2022 to implement water replenishment projects across five municipalities: Dawid Kruiper, Madibeng, Mogalakwena, Polokwane, and Mangaung. The projects involved installing pressure reducing valves (PRV) and conducting leak repairs in schools. In Dawid Kruiper, school interventions cost R145,000 on average with a payback period of ~1.7 years and monthly savings of 300kl. In Madibeng, school interventions cost R314,000 on average with a payback of ~0.42 years and monthly savings of 2,100kl.
• The Western Cape Government's Resilience Strategy aims to secure 341 Mm3 of water annually by 2035. This is to be achieved through a combination of water conservation, demand management, supply augmentation, infrastructure development, and strengthened governance.

APA

GreenCape (n.d.). Replicable water stewardship projects for investment and collaboration. https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/GC-Western-Cape-Government-–-Industry_Brief_DIGITAL-1.pdf

Chicago

GreenCape. Replicable water stewardship projects for investment and collaboration. n.d. https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/GC-Western-Cape-Government-–-Industry_Brief_DIGITAL-1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=GreenCape |title=Replicable water stewardship projects for investment and collaboration |url=https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/GC-Western-Cape-Government-–-Industry_Brief_DIGITAL-1.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{greencapendreplicable, author = {{GreenCape}}, title = {{Replicable water stewardship projects for investment and collaboration}}, institution = {GreenCape}, url = {https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/GC-Western-Cape-Government-–-Industry_Brief_DIGITAL-1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }