Featured
Mendy Shozi: Water’s Importance Cannot Be Overstated
Water is scarce, wasted, and taken for granted. It is also a vital source of life and dignity. Mendy Shozi, President of the South Africa Youth Parliament for Water and project manager at Bremen Overseas Research and Development Association, is in her words “water...
Featured
Navigating Resistance: Overcoming Barriers to Regulatory Reform in South Africa’s Water Sector
Introducing new regulations often meets with resistance, and the water sector in South Africa is no exception. Regulation 3630 is an example and stems from various sources, including institutional inertia, stakeholder interests, and socio-economic factors....
Featured
Making Every Drop Count In Gqeberha
Droughts are not new to Gqeberha (formerly called Port Elizabeth). Located in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province, Gqeberha experiences a semi-arid climate with erratic rainfall, making it prone to periodic water scarcity. This has inspired a unique partnership...
Featured
Reducing Risk and Building Trust with Bureau Veritas
A world leader in testing, inspection and certification services, Bureau Veritas operates in agri-food, industry, commodities as well as building and infrastructure markets. Water is a critical resource across all these sectors, and as its quality declines, water...
CoGTA Minister talks tough on underperforming municipalities
Newly appointed Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) Minister, Velenkosini Hlabisa, has stated that the seventh administration is committed to working towards turning around dysfunctional municipalities, including the eThekwini...
Africa’s renewable energy market poses US$193-Billion opportunity by 2031
The size of Africa’s investment opportunity in renewable energy represents a potential US$193-billion by 2031. However, realising this potential will require access to innovative funding models and a robust secondary finance market to recycle and...
Mandela Day: Polyco to provide 2700 care packages to waste reclaimers across the country
This Mandela Day, Polyco will be sending out 2700 care packages to waste reclaimers at its Packa-Ching buy-back centres and its enterprise development projects located across the country. Waste reclaimers play a critical role within South Africa’s...
The new DWS Minister gives her budget speech
Minister Pemmy Majodina prioritizes infrastructure investment, sustainable resource use, and effective water management. Building on her predecessor’s reforms, she aims to secure water as both a fundamental right and a catalyst for economic...
Urban renewal, without gentrification
Gentrification is a dirty word, and inner-city renewal is necessary in South Africa. Can these two competing realities coexist, or will the poor always lose when we modernise our cities? By Duncan Nortier Gentrification always comes at the cost of...
More collaboration required to reduce food waste along the supply chain
The estimated edible portion of food waste throughout the supply chain in South Africa is 10.2 million tonnes per year. This can be broken down into 2.7 million tonnes during agricultural production, 2.4 million tonnes during post-harvest handling...
Sustainability
Ramaphosa’s emergency energy plan critical turning point for SA solar sector
President Ramaphosa’s recent announcement that all licensing requirements for private energy projects will be dropped has heralded what we hope will be a much-needed, new era for the country’s ongoing energy crisis. But while these advancements...
Employees can help save water at work
By Chetan Mistry, strategy and marketing manager, Xylem The world once took water for granted. But attitudes are changing as water security becomes a significant risk consideration for companies. In 2015, 70% of companies surveyed for Carbon...
Nedbank celebrates female green-economy entrepreneurs
In celebrating Women’s Month, Nedbank has paid tribute to the impact that female entrepreneurs are making on South Africa’s nascent green economy. The energy these women bring to their social enterprises is making a significant positive impact on...
Construction companies can help build resilience against natural disasters
Mother Nature is unleashing her fury on the world with increasing regularity and devastation. A recent report by the World Bank states that the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events has escalated across the African continent. South...
Distell is closing the loop on waste
For many organisations, sustainability is a corporate responsibility and a necessary step towards enhancing future fitness. For others, it’s a marketing must. But in South Africa, it is a survival imperative. Nothing, if not resourceful, South...
[THOUGHT LEADER] Is nuclear power ’greener’ than we thought?
Nuclear power currently accounts for about 10% of the world’s electricity, with the United States and European Union (EU) countries leading the way. It received the ‘green’ light from the EU in early July 2022 – under restrictions – when it...
Industry News
South Africa’s economy is back to pre-pandemic levels
South Africa’s economy was stronger than expected in the first quarter of 2022, with the gross domestic product (GDP) growing by 1.9% from the previous quarter. The size of the economy is now at pre-pandemic levels, with real GDP slightly higher...
[OPINION] Rethinking energy usage in South Africa
South Africans are all too aware of the ongoing electricity supply issues facing the country. The deteriorating electrical generation, transmission, and distribution infrastructure is cause for significant concern. By Frikkie Malan, head of...
KZN launches new pothole repair campaign
Milllions have been made available to repair potholes and other road infrastructure that was damaged by floods. KZN Department of Transport has launched Operation Vala’mapotholes – an operation aimed at eradicating potholes on KZN roads....
Water
Metro News
Water quality tests incomplete in Tswane
The city of Tswane has reportedly conducted water quality tests in some areas which came back clean, however according to the city’s spokesperson Sipho Stuurman further tests still need to be conducted. Water quality tests were conducted in...
City of Cape Town sees spike in theft of water meters
The City of Cape Town says it has seen a spike in the number of water meters stolen in several suburbs. Steenberg, Retreat, Grassy Park, Strand, Athlone, Woodstock, Ottery, Bellville South, Lentegeur, Manenberg and Belgravia are some of the areas...
Businesses start to count the costs of the KZN flooding
The recent flooding in KwaZulu-Natal have had a huge impact on businesses operating in South Africa in general and especially those operating in the province. Apart from lost productivity, there has also been significant damage to infrastructure....
Waste
Engineering
Builders will also be taking a much-needed break this year
Following a tough year of navigating project disruptions as well as material and labour shortages, construction industry stakeholders are opting to close their doors over the coming holiday period and take a much-deserved break, according to a...
New welding alliance to boost Africa’s manufacturing capacity
To address the future professional needs of the welding industry in Africa, the Southern African Institute of Welding (SAIW) has signed an SLA with The Welding Federation for Africa (TWF) to drive productivity in manufacturing across the continent....
Challenges faced by engineering departments in metro and local municipalities
The Institute of Municipal Engineering of Southern Africa (IMESA) promotes the interests of municipal engineers and their profession with the aim of expanding the knowledge and best practices in all Local Government municipalities. *Commentary by...
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Water & Sanitation Africa
The official magazine of the Water Institute of Southern Africa (WISA), the magazine publishes content dealing with the supply, governance, financing, treatment and measurement of water and sanitation in southern Africa.