The trouble replacing load-shedding is here and it’s hitting SA even harder
South Africans have spoken out about how water outages have overtaken load-shedding as the country faces a mounting service crisis.
Water outages have rapidly become the most widely reported public service issue on the popular South African app EskomSePush (ESP), overtaking the long-standing dominance of load-shedding updates. As rolling power cuts decline, the app has evolved to capture a broader picture of daily disruptions, with water shortages emerging as the most alarming trend for many communities.
ESP now enables users to submit and track updates on a wide range of service interruptions through its Chats feature, which acts as a digital notice board for neighbourhood information. Reports vary from electricity and water issues to internet problems, crime incidents and even lost and found pets. However, the surge in water-related reports stands out for both its volume and urgency.
Why are water outages dominating user reports?
According to MyBroadband, ESP co-founder Herman Maritz confirmed that water outages have become a major driver of activity on the platform. He noted that traffic levels linked to prolonged water shortages now resemble what the app experienced during national load-shedding days. Maritz said South Africans are increasingly desperate for timely information, especially regarding water trucks, reservoir levels, restoration times and which neighbourhoods may receive relief.
Users are turning to one another for practical help, sharing the locations of water tankers, offering access to boreholes and storage tanks and posting real-time updates on where queues have formed. Communities also report when trucks last arrived and which streets have been serviced, helping residents navigate outages that often last several days.
How is load reduction adding to everyday strain?
Alongside water shortages, Maritz highlighted the persistent issue of load reduction, describing it as a routine part of life in areas struggling with illegal connections or overloaded infrastructure. ESP has added dedicated load reduction support and alerts to help residents better anticipate these targeted electricity cuts, which continue to affect thousands even as broader load-shedding declines.
What does this reveal about South Africa’s water infrastructure?
Feedback from ESP aligns with growing concerns about the state of South Africa’s water systems. Poor planning, insufficient investment, water theft and deteriorating infrastructure have placed the national supply at a critical point. Earlier this year, the South African Institution of Civil Engineering (Saice) warned of the urgent need to address failing systems, stating that millions of people are now dealing with unreliable supply and frequent dry taps.
The Department of Water and Sanitation estimated that an annual investment of R90 billion will be required over the next decade to upgrade and maintain the infrastructure needed to meet rising demand. Yet Saice has expressed deep concern that many municipalities lack the engineering expertise required to effectively utilise such funding.
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Are municipalities managing water services effectively?
The Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA) recently reported widespread failures in water service planning and management. In its presentation to Parliament, the AGSA revealed that over 59 municipalities spent R2.32 billion on emergency water tanker services in the 2023/24 financial year. Of this amount, R419 million was identified as irregular expenditure.
A troubling trend highlighted in the findings is the emergence of so-called water mafias. These groups reportedly sabotage infrastructure to force the use of water tankers, profiting from the resulting disruptions. AGSA senior manager Jolene Pillay explained that only 23 of 135 water service authorities received clean audits, with the remainder facing compliance or performance concerns. This means that more than 100 municipalities are either failing to meet minimum delivery standards or are not managing their resources effectively.
How severe are water losses across the country?
Water service authorities recorded a combined R14.89 billion in water losses for the 2023/24 financial year. National standards set a water loss threshold of 30%, yet 74 municipalities surpassed this limit. Meanwhile, Rand Water, Gauteng’s main water authority, previously raised concerns about excessive withdrawals by municipalities, warning that demand was outstripping responsible usage.
In some regions, municipalities have attributed strained supplies to residents and businesses, implementing restrictions even when upstream dams remained full.
Is this crisis due to water scarcity?
Water expert Dr Anthony Turton believes that South Africa’s water challenges stem not from a lack of water, but from institutional failure. He argues that the core issues lie in infrastructure weaknesses, poor long-term planning and the absence of effective mitigation measures to protect the country’s future against climate-related pressures
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