Market Intelligent Report

The Market Intelligent Report by GreenCape provides an overview of the water sector in South Africa, with a specific focus on the Western Cape. It details the regulatory framework, governance structures, and current challenges such as non-revenue water and skills shortages. The report identifies opportunities for the private sector in desalination, water re-use, and infrastructure maintenance, while outlining available municipal grant funding and regional projects like the Berg River Improvement Plan.

• South Africa faces significant water scarcity and resource challenges, ranking as the 30th driest country globally. Its water usage is composed of 77% surface water, 9% groundwater, and 14% re-use of return flows.
• Non-revenue water, which includes physical leaks and commercial losses, is a major challenge, accounting for approximately 36.8% of the water supplied in South Africa. Among the eight metros representing 46% of urban water use, Cape Town has the lowest Infrastructure Leakage Index (ILI) at 2.1, while Johannesburg has the highest at 8.3.
• The water sector suffers from a chronic shortage of technical skills and high management turnover. Only 72% of municipal posts were filled according to a 2011 study, and civil engineering capacity has dropped from 20 engineers per 100,000 people pre-1994 to 3 per 100,000.
• An estimated R360 billion, representing roughly 15% of South Africa's GDP, is required over the next 15 years to secure the country's water future, primarily to increase and maintain water treatment plant capacity.
• The Western Cape is identified as a water-stressed region with an estimated annual total water demand of 2047x106m3. The region utilizes six major dams and has an artificial recharge scheme in Atlantis that provides about 30% of the area's groundwater supply.
• The Department of Water Affairs (DWA) anticipates that desalination plants could provide up to 10% of South Africa's urban water supply by 2030. The Western Cape currently has six desalination plants, primarily using reverse osmosis.
• The Berg River Improvement Plan (BRIP), initiated in 2012, aims to address water quality and pollution in the Berg River through short-term (≤ 5 years) and long-term (5–30 years) interventions, including a Water Stewardship Programme with six main tasks.
• Various government grants are available for water projects, including the Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG) for basic access, the Regional Bulk Infrastructure Grant (RBIG) for new bulk infrastructure, and the Municipal Water Infrastructure Grant (MWIG) to address functionality gaps by June 30, 2015.

APA

GreenCape (n.d.). Market Intelligent Report. https://greencape.co.za/assets/Uploads/GreenCape-MIR-Water.pdf

Chicago

GreenCape. Market Intelligent Report. n.d. https://greencape.co.za/assets/Uploads/GreenCape-MIR-Water.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=GreenCape |title=Market Intelligent Report |url=https://greencape.co.za/assets/Uploads/GreenCape-MIR-Water.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{greencapendmarket, author = {{GreenCape}}, title = {{Market Intelligent Report}}, institution = {GreenCape}, url = {https://greencape.co.za/assets/Uploads/GreenCape-MIR-Water.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }