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...
Navigating water security: from crisis to collaboration
The close bond between humans and water is illustrated in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, where water meets the most basic of physiological needs. But despite its critical role, water is frequently overlooked and undervalued. “This always make me...
What do sectoral emission targets mean for your business?
To support the implementation of South Africa’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) under the Paris Agreement, the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment published the Sectoral Emissions Target (SET) Report (Report) for...
Contractors, sub-contractors on thin ice as construction sector woes worsen
The entire construction industry value chain is at risk of collapsing as shrinking margins, unfair practices and payment issues continue to undermine the sector. This is according to members of the Master Builders Association (MBA) North, who warn...
Parliamentary rebuilding project to get underway
After a fire in 2022 destroyed the historic building, Parliament’s officials have handed over the site to demolition contractors to begin the rebuilding project. “Today, it is both a great pleasure and a privilege to announce a significant...
EWSETA partners with Power Africa and UNDP to advance women in electrical and renewable energy fields in Limpopo
The Energy and Water Sector Education and Training Authority (EWSETA), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), in support of Power Africa, a U.S. government-led partnership and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)...
Sappi and Enpower sign power purchase agreement
In a move to further decarbonise its footprint Sappi has partnered with Enpower Trading, a National Energy Regulator of South Africa licensed company, for a 175GWh per annum renewable energy Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). Sustainability goals...
Sustainability
SA ranked amongst the world’s worst plastic polluters
According to a report commissioned by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), South Africa is the 11th worst plastic polluter worldwide. “There is also evidence of an increase in marine plastic debris from land-based sources within SA, suggesting...
South Africa faces a tough road to net-zero emissions by 2050
The International Energy Agency (IEA) – of which South Africa is an association country – recently released a report detailing a way forward for countries looking to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 and thus give the world an even chance of...
SPAR moving towards becoming carbon-neutral
Retail group SPAR has announced new sustainability goals, which will introduce several green initiatives over the next four years. Sustainable packaging has been rolled out for certain the group’s in-house ‘own brand’ products, in line with a...
The organic waste landfill ban is around the corner: Are we ready?
The Western Cape is half a year away from the 2022 target to divert at least 50% of all organic waste from landfills. So the big question is, can the Western Cape divert at least 50% of 533 745 tonnes of municipal organic waste and 326 935 of...
Sponsored Content
Climate-change report shines spotlight on Africa’s agriculture potential
It seems almost incongruous to talk about the opportunity that exists in ensuring the world’s food security by bolstering Africa’s agricultural output when the very pressing and public crisis of climate change could be its undoing. Particularly in...
Big players take the lead in reducing waste sent to landfill
We all want to see a South African future with zero waste to landfill, cleaner and safer communities, financially viable and stable management of waste, and to allow our natural systems to regenerate for generations to come. But the shift to a more...
Industry News
We need to synergize and deliver water to people
The Minister of Water and Sanitation (DWS), Senzo Mchunu, and his deputies were in the Mpumalanga Province for their seventh provincial working session. The purpose of the working session was to engage a variety of stakeholders to fully understand...
An update on flooding in Western Cape catchments
The National Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) provides advisorys regarding floods in some catchments in the Western Cape. As of Saturday, 4 December 2021, the South African Weather Service (SAWS) issued a revised Impact Based Warning for...
Sentiment among civil contractors weakens in Q4
Delays in awarding infrastructure projects are believed to be responsible for confidence in South Africa’s civil construction industry dropping in the fourth quarter of this year. Confidence levels deteriorated despite most of the underlying...
Water
Metro News
Innovation and integrated approach can save Tshwane businesses during Covid-19
The Tshwane Economic Development Agency (TEDA) has pivoted its focus in 2020 towards helping local businesses to sustain themselves in various industries during the prevailing uncertain Covid-19 environment. TEDA is supporting and guiding...
Durban hailed by world bank as a best practice city during COVID-19
eThekwini Municipality has been recognised by the World Bank’s Competitive Cities Programme as one of the best practice cities for its economic response to the Covid-19 global pandemic. In a session titled “How Cities are Supporting Their Economies...
Point Precinct to transform Durban
Currently under way, the public-private sector project to revitalise Durban’s Point Waterfront forms an essential part of eThekwini Municipality’s initiative to redevelop and regenerate the inner city. Durban Point Waterfront has long been...
Waste
Engineering
Bargaining Council for Civil Engineering waives April and May levies
The Bargaining Council for the Civil Engineering Industry (BCCEI) took an unprecedented step in April 2020 when the Council announced that it would waive the BCCEI administration and dispute levy contributions for that month. In another move aimed...
Bargain council for the civil engineering industry gets green light from CCMA
The ongoing success of the Bargaining Council for the Civil Engineering Industry (BCCEI) has led to its accreditation by the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) being extended for another three and a half years. “This is a...
CESA Awards honour the best in engineering
The country’s leading built environment professionals recently gathered for the 2019 CESA Aon Engineering Excellence Awards to celebrate South Africa’s excellence in engineering. This year’s awards, hosted by Consulting Engineers South Africa...
Read our Magazines
Digital Magazines
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.