Access to clean, reliable water is one of the most basic human needs. Yet across South Africa, many marginalised communities still face shortages, unreliable supply and deteriorating infrastructure.
Every interruption makes ordinary tasks, from preparing a meal to keeping a school or clinic clean, more difficult. What should be an essential public service has become a source of frustration and hardship for families and local businesses.
These challenges raise hard questions about municipal governance, infrastructure investment and the country’s ability to deliver sustainable services. But they also present an opportunity for municipalities to transform their water infrastructure through international cooperation, modern technology and effective management. South Africa has substantial resources and technical expertise. The water crisis should therefore be seen not only as a failure of service delivery, but as a chance to rebuild.
Municipalities responsible for water services are at the centre of delivery and must ensure that communities have access to clean, reliable water. Yet ageing infrastructure, leaking pipes, poor maintenance, financial constraints and limited technical capacity continue to undermine their work.
The problem is not only the availability of water but also the infrastructure needed to store, treat and distribute it. Even where water resources exist, poorly maintained systems can lose large volumes before water reaches households. In a joint statement issued in November 2024, the Department of Water and Sanitation and other authorities cited the 2023 No Drop report’s finding: that water losses in Johannesburg stood at 35%. The statement identified replacing ageing pipes, improving pressure management and installing or repairing meters among the measures needed to address these losses.
Municipalities must therefore change their approach. Instead of reacting only when systems collapse, they should prioritise preventative maintenance, regular infrastructure assessments and long-term investment in water distribution networks.
South Africa should look beyond its borders for solutions, regardless of political differences. Water security is a national development priority that demands pragmatism, international cooperation and a willingness to learn from countries with successful water management systems.
Ageing infrastructure
To relieve pressure on its ageing infrastructure, South Africa should prioritise knowledge-sharing and technology transfer. Its existing water-sector cooperation with Denmark provides one avenue for this work. Such partnerships should help municipalities strengthen technical capacity, improve infrastructure management and apply solutions suited to local conditions.
Israel offers another useful example. According to the OECD’s Environmental Performance Reviews: Israel 2023, more than 87% of the country’s wastewater effluent is reused for agriculture, showing how investment in technology and sustainable management can strengthen water security. Israel has also invested extensively in seawater desalination, using advanced filtration technology to turn seawater into drinking water and reduce dependence on scarce natural freshwater resources.
Other advances include drip irrigation, which delivers water directly to plant roots, and precision irrigation systems that use monitoring to guide water application. These approaches offer useful lessons for South Africa in making limited water resources go further. The priority should be to identify technologies suited to local needs, with careful consideration of their costs, energy requirements and long-term maintenance.
The use of Israeli technology in South African water projects provides a practical example of how international cooperation can translate into tangible community benefits. In October 2026, the SA Jewish Report reported that Innovation: Africa had opened a solar-powered water system in Okledeni, near Nongoma in KwaZulu-Natal. Funded by the Victor Daitz Foundation, the project provided water to more than 3,000 people through 11 taps connected by over three kilometres of piping. Fourteen local residents also received practical training in operating, repairing and maintaining the system.
Such projects demonstrate the value of combining international technical expertise with local development priorities. Partnerships should go beyond importing technology to include skills transfer, research collaboration and infrastructure investment. South African engineers, technicians and municipalities must be equipped to operate and maintain these systems independently. This would stimulate local innovation, create jobs and strengthen the country’s technical base.
International cooperation
Ultimately, international cooperation should be judged by its practical contribution to South Africa’s development, rather than political differences alone. Water security demands solutions that put communities and national interests first.
Modern technology can make water delivery more efficient and sustainable. Smart monitoring systems, for instance, can help municipalities detect leaks, spot unusual consumption and track infrastructure performance. Investment in these tools should include the training and maintenance needed to use them effectively.
Investment in better storage, pumping stations and treatment plants would likewise improve reliability. Where communities depend on a single borehole or shared storage tank, that infrastructure must be properly maintained, its water quality monitored and responsibility for repairs clearly assigned. Installing a system is only the beginning of delivering a reliable service.
These interventions should form part of a broader national strategy that encourages innovation and promotes collaboration among local government, universities, private companies and international development partners.
Infrastructure investment and technology cannot succeed without accountability and sound governance.
Municipalities must use their budgets responsibly and ensure that projects deliver measurable improvements. The government should strengthen monitoring to check whether projects are completed on time, whether maintenance is happening and whether households receive reliable and safe water. These results should be made public, so that communities can assess progress and hold those responsible to account.
Public interest
Public-private partnerships can also play an important role by bringing in technical expertise, drawing on local skills and attracting investment. But they must be transparent, accountable to both the community and the state, and focused on the public interest. Access to clean water must remain a development priority, not an opportunity for exploitation.
South Africa’s water challenges require more than temporary fixes and political promises. Municipalities need the financial resources, technical expertise and institutional capacity to deliver sustainable services, alongside clear accountability for results. Whether delivered through the state or through partnerships, infrastructure projects should also create opportunities for unemployed young people to gain skills and meaningful work.
Access to clean water is not merely a municipal responsibility. It is a matter of human dignity, public health and economic development. Government’s success should be measured, not by the number of projects announced, but by the tangible improvements ordinary people experience.
South Africa must turn its water crisis into an opportunity to rebuild, modernise and strengthen its infrastructure. The time has come to move from promises to practical solutions, and from reactive service delivery to sustainable development.
[Image: by Mumemories]
The views of the writer are not necessarily the views of the Daily Friend or the IRR.
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