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...
Unveiling the Potential of AI in Africa’s Mining Industry
The global mining landscape finds itself at a crossroads, navigating a terrain marked by surging demand for resources amidst economic unpredictability and geopolitical tensions. This juxtaposition of challenges and opportunities has catalyzed a...
UCT academics collaborate with global leaders to decarbonise concrete
Academics from the University of Cape Town (UCT) joined a network of 450 scientists and industry leaders from around the world in Lausanne, Switzerland to drive forward critical research into making concrete net zero. Concrete and sustainability...
George building collapse
On Monday, May 6th, in the afternoon a multistorey building collapsed at 75 Victoria Street in George. So far recuse operations retrieved 61 workers from the rubble, 32 were found deceased, 12 are hospitalised, and 20 remain unaccounted for. Rescue...
SA-first solution to convert paper sludge, food and textile waste into bioethanol
We have the waste, and now we have another solution for it. Converting cellulose fibre-rich waste from pulp and paper mill operations into ethanol using a specialised fermentation process. Ethanol is a versatile starting material used in industrial...
What the major political parties say about water and sanitation
Today’s question to the major political parties deals with our polluted water systems. We asked the ANC, DA, EFF, IFP, FF Plus, ActionSA, PA, MK Party, and RISE Mzansi on 13 March and sent follow-up queries to those who did not respond. Some have...
Mchunu invokes Section 63 in uThukela District Municipality
Water and Sanitation Minister Senzo Mchunu has invoked Section 63 of the Water Services Act in the uThukela District Municipality, in KwaZulu-Natal, in an effort to stabilise the state of water and sanitation in the area. Mchunu took the decision...
Sustainability
University Student Centre completes energy-efficiency initiative
In March 2020, the specialised sustainability engineering company SEM Solutions was appointed to install a 315kWp solar PV installation on the roof of the Neelsie Student Centre at Stellenbosch University (SU). “The Student Centre is an iconic...
SA needs energy performance legislation sooner rather than later
As the winter season tightens its icy grip on South Africa, so the prospect of continued load shedding looms ever larger. And while some organisations have put measures in place to reduce energy demand in their buildings, most are not as...
Opinion
Reimaging, recreating and restoring our ecosystems – one change at a time
Life on earth is symbiotic, each component within the ecosystem plays a significant role – you only have to examine how the loss of the bee population today is affecting food systems – to be reminded of just how interconnected everything really is....
Used oil generators urged to recycle responsibly to protect the environment
As June marks National Environment Month, protecting our ecosystems falls firmly in the spotlight. Of particular importance, is ensuring that hazardous waste does not pollute the natural environment. Used lubricating oil is a hazardous waste that,...
Solving SA’s energy crisis – the role of industry collaboration and innovation
Companies across South Africa have stepped up this National Energy Month to bring their corporate innovation capabilities forward – in line with Government’s call to find urgent solutions to the country’s energy crisis. Some of the clear-cut...
World’s first concept for rechargeable cement-based batteries
Imagine an entire twenty storey concrete building that can store energy like a giant battery. Thanks to unique research from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, such a vision could someday be a reality. Researchers from the Department of...
Events
Industry News
Making roads climate-resilient and sustainable
In the wake of the United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26), attention has once again focused on how best to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. It is...
The link between power security and water
California is currently on the edge of its seat during wildfire season. The U.S. state’s vast forests, many clustered in its north, are notorious for their tinderbox conditions. High winds can pick up debris such as branches, hitting power...
Groundwater harvesting expands in the Eastern Cape
Leveraging the abundance of groundwater, the Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa (CCBSA) Coke Ville Groundwater Harvesting Programme is making strong headway in the Eastern Cape to help fight the looming water crisis facing South Africa. New...
Water
Metro News
Africa’s leading convention centre
Durban International Convention Centre (ICC) prides itself on being a leading venue for meetings, business events, conferences and exhibitions on the African continent. Durban ICC has received overwhelming feedback from clients, who have voted it...
Delivering Diphetogo
In tabling the 2019/20 budget, the City of Johannesburg acknowledged several threats to the health of the economy. However, the city has still made some advances in infrastructure development and service delivery. During the 2019/20 budget process,...
Watt Street Interchange gains momentum
Mass earthworks, columns and reinforced steel can be seen from Arkwright Avenue to Chadwick Avenue along Old Pretoria Road in Johannesburg, as the construction of Watt Interchange forges ahead. Watt Interchange, along the Louis Botha Development...
Engineering
CESA calls for government to revise procurement practices
Consulting Engineers South Africa is calling on government to urgently revise its procurement practices for Consulting Engineering Services related to the development of Infrastructure. In the wake of the 2019 Budget Speech Chris Campbell, CEO of...
Engineers step up to help deal with SA energy challenges
The engineering fraternity says it is committed to being part of the solution to help resolve the country’s power generation constraints. This comes after the a combined engineering discipline based representative group under the auspices of...
Engineers to add expertise to agriculture in NW
Four young agricultural engineers are set to add their expertise to the Rural, Environment and Agricultural Development Department in the North West as part of a drive to improve and strengthen agricultural engineering services in the province. The...
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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.