2014 Market Intelligent Report: Water

The report examines South Africa's water sector, highlighting the country's status as the 30th driest globally and the resulting pressure on water resources. It details the governance roles of the Department of Water Affairs (DWA), water boards, and municipalities, while identifying critical challenges such as non-revenue water (approximately 36.8% of supply) and a chronic shortage of engineering skills. In the Western Cape, the report notes a high reliance on six major dams and the implementation of the Berg River Improvement Plan to address pollution. Future opportunities for the private sector are identified in desalination, artificial aquifer recharge, water re-use, and infrastructure maintenance, supported by various government grants like the Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG).

• South Africa faces significant water scarcity and resource pressure, ranking as the 30th driest country globally. Its water usage is composed of 77% surface water, 14% re-use of return flows, and 9% groundwater.
• Non-revenue water, which includes physical leaks and commercial losses such as theft and billing errors, accounts for roughly 36.8% of the water supplied across South Africa.
• The water sector suffers from a severe shortage of technical skills and management stability. Civil engineering capacity in local government has declined from 20 engineers per 100,000 people before 1994 to just 3 per 100,000.
• The Western Cape is identified as a water-stressed region with an estimated annual water demand of 2047x106m3, primarily met by six major dams.
• The Department of Water Affairs (DWA) anticipates that desalination could provide up to 10% of South Africa's urban water supply by 2030, particularly as a response to climate change risks.
• The Berg River Improvement Plan (BRIP), initiated in 2012, aims to address water quality and pollution in the Berg River through short-term (up to 5 years) and long-term (5 to 30 years) interventions.
• Significant financial investment is required to secure the country's water future, with an estimated R360 billion (approximately 15% of GDP) needed over 15 years, mainly for water treatment plant capacity.

APA

Roux, A., Munganga, G., & Mali-Bolo, S. (2014). 2014 Market Intelligent Report: Water. GreenCape. https://greencape.co.za/assets/Uploads/GreenCape-MIR-Water.pdf

Chicago

Roux, Annelie, Gracia Munganga, and Sinethemba Mali-Bolo. 2014 Market Intelligent Report: Water. GreenCape, 2014. https://greencape.co.za/assets/Uploads/GreenCape-MIR-Water.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Roux |first1=Annelie |last2=Munganga |first2=Gracia |last3=Mali-Bolo |first3=Sinethemba |title=2014 Market Intelligent Report: Water |publisher=GreenCape |date=2014 |url=https://greencape.co.za/assets/Uploads/GreenCape-MIR-Water.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{roux20142014, author = {Roux, Annelie and Munganga, Gracia and Mali-Bolo, Sinethemba}, title = {{2014 Market Intelligent Report: Water}}, institution = {GreenCape}, year = {2014}, url = {https://greencape.co.za/assets/Uploads/GreenCape-MIR-Water.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }