Majodina urges bold reforms to secure South Africa’s water future

By Levy Masiteng

Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina has called for a fundamental shift in how South Africa manages its water resources, saying the country can no longer rely on traditional approaches to address mounting pressure from climate change, ageing infrastructure and rising demand.

Delivering the keynote address at the Water Institute of Southern Africa (WISA) 2026 Biennial Conference and Exhibition at the Cape Town International Convention Centre on Wednesday, Majodina said government was moving beyond responding to recurring water crises and was instead implementing long-term reforms focused on innovation, stronger governance, modern technology and infrastructure investment.

The three-day conference, which runs until Friday, has attracted more than 2,000 delegates from South Africa, across the continent and abroad, including engineers, scientists, researchers, policymakers, municipal officials and private sector stakeholders.

The conference is being held under the theme, “Rethink Amanzi – Securing Our Future.”

“The theme of this conference could therefore not be more timely,” Majodina said.

“It challenges us to question conventional assumptions, embrace new ideas and imagine a future in which water is managed differently – more intelligently, more sustainably and more collaboratively.”

Majodina said South Africa’s water challenges could not be resolved simply by building more dams and pipelines.

“It will demand new forms of leadership, new governance models, new financing mechanisms, new technologies and, perhaps most importantly, a renewed commitment to collective action,” she said.

She warned that South Africa, already among the world’s 30 driest countries, faces increasing pressure from climate change, deteriorating infrastructure, pollution, invasive alien plants and growing water demand, making water security one of the country’s most pressing economic and development challenges.

“Without secure water supplies, industries cannot expand. Without secure water supplies, agriculture cannot guarantee food production. Without secure water supplies, investment confidence weakens,” she said.

Majodina outlined a series of