As South Africa continues to face a mounting water crisis, stakeholders across government, civil society, and the tech sector convened for a critical dialogue hosted by the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) in collaboration with the Empire Partner Foundation (EPF) and Ferguson Media, on April 30, 2025.
The “Problem Solving Methodology, Water Scarcity, Resource Management and Future Planning in South Africa” was the themed title of the dialogue, aimed to pave a way forward through innovation, accountability, and collective action.
The event brought together over 80 participants, 30 in person and 50+ joining virtually to hear from a distinguished panel of experts that included the likes of Dr Ferrial Adam, the Citizen science and environmental advocacy, Nathan Mariemuthu, EPF founder under Tech-driven tools for monitoring and data transparency sector and Luba Luyaba (SALGA) from the Institutional reform and local governance challenges department and Tiyani Chauke from the Department of Water & Sanitation.
It was mentioned that South Africa’s water crisis is not simply an environmental issue, it’s a governance and equity issue. The panel moreover revealed that:
- 46% of water supply systems are non-functional
- 67% of wastewater treatment facilities are critically failing
- Nearly 47.4% of the country’s treated water is lost due to leaks, aging pipes, and illegal connections
Municipalities remain under-resourced, fragmented, and often unable to deliver basic services.
According to Dr. Ferrial Adam, water is not free, he further stated that it’s time to rethink our relationship with it, highlighting the widespread public misconception that water is an unlimited resource.
The session didn’t just expose problems, it offered forward-looking solutions!
- The Data-Driven Technologies, EPF’s predictive AR/VR tools and IoT sensors promised real-time leak detection and proactive maintenance.
- Plans were said to be underway for a centralized, open-access water database, bringing together government, civil society, and tech providers to inform decision-making.
In strengthening Governance, calls were made for urgent municipal capacity building, including training, youth recruitment, and clearer national oversight of underperforming municipalities.
The Legislative reforms were proposed to enable stronger accountability frameworks.
Under Community-Centered Approaches, WaterCan’s Citizen Science model enables local water testing and grassroots activism.
While the Educational campaigns using simple analogies (e.g., “Two syringes to brush your teeth”) aim to shift public attitudes and behaviors.
Lastly, in Regional Cooperation the need for transboundary partnerships—such as shared management of river basins like the Orange River—was emphasized as essential for long-term planning
In conclusion, the interactive Dialogue of the Youth, Data & Public Involvement, the audience engagement highlighted a desire for a Greater youth involvement in water innovation and policy. The public access to water data for transparency and accountability, and the better alignment between budgets and delivery outcomes.
Collaborative Solutions: Data, Technology & Community Empowerment
The session didn’t just expose problems—it offered forward-looking solutions:
- Data-Driven Technologies
- EPF’s predictive AR/VR tools and IoT sensors promise real-time leak detection and proactive maintenance.
- Plans are underway for a centralized, open-access water database, bringing together government, civil society, and tech providers to inform decision-making.
- Nonhlanhla Morare is a Journalism intern at Empire Partner Foundation
