South Africa’s water sector is at a critical juncture. Poor service delivery, weak governance, and mounting ecological pressures are undermining water security. At the same time, government is streamlining regulatory and legislative frameworks to facilitate partnerships between municipalities and the private sector in support of service delivery and development objectives. Against this backdrop, this Intelligence Report examines the potential of public-private partnerships (PPPs) to address the water crisis through two South African case studies: the iLembe District Municipality–Siza Water Company partnership and the Emfuleni Development Partnership involving Sasol and GIZ. These examples highlight both the opportunities and challenges associated with PPPs in the water sector.
This Intelligence Report examines the role that the private sector could play to improve water security in South Africa, and it highlights how it can mitigate the associated risks. The aim of the report is not to advocate for the private sector to take over the responsibility of water services, but to highlight how such partnerships can be used to address the crisis that communities are facing using sustainable and long-term models. The report begins by providing an overview of the water sector in South Africa before highlighting key PPP case studies. It concludes by indicating what can be learnt from these case studies.
Stuart Morrison is a Data Analyst with the Governance Insights and Analytics team at GGA. His research and expertise mainly focuses on the nexus between local governance, urbanisation and elections. He is currently completing his MA in E-science (Data Science) at the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, with a background in Political Science, International Relations and Development studies. His multi-disciplinary approach incorporating data science and quantitative methods allows him to provide a nuanced and data-driven approach towards his research and policy work.
