The African Union-AIP Water Investment Summit 2025 held in Cape Town this month proved largely successful, raising USD 10 billion[1]  in investment commitments for the continent.

However, water infrastructure investment needs to be equally matched by investment in skills and professionalisation within both the water sector and its external support partners.

This is according to Dr Lester Goldman, CEO of the Water Institute of Southern Africa (WISA). “We’re not saying that infrastructure investment is not critical or welcome but without the right skills, it’s an exercise in futility,” he says.

The human factor
Days before the summit, President Ramaphosa presided over the opening of the new System 5A Water Purification Plant[2]  at Rand Water’s Zuikerbosch Station in Vereeniging. The plant adds 600 million litres of potable water per day to the system - enough to supply 2.4 million people.

“We are celebrating the completion of a vital piece of infrastructure, and we are affirming our shared commitment to the people of South Africa to continuously provide clean, reliable and safe water,” he said.

It’s a commitment that needs to be supported by sufficient capacity and skills. “Capacity speaks of the right mix of people, processes and policies within organisations responsible for water, but skills are about the people themselves possessing standards-based talent to perform their duties effectively,” says Goldman.

There must be ample skills in three main categories - leadership; management across the various departments; and technical skills within the water department itself. Goldman says each is equally important and supports the others to form a dependency chain.

Leaders in the water sector are not necessarily water experts. They are counsellors, decision makers, finance managers and other managers in support departments outside the technical water department. So, they depend on the expertise of technical professionals.

Professionalisation and training
Regulation 3630[3] , gazetted on 3 June 2023, requires that water services works be supervised by at least a Class V process controller. Professionals of this class and above must register with WISA, meet its membership standards, and pursue continuous professional development (CPD) as required. Lower classes must also undergo continued education independently.

Yet, there is a lot of resistance to the regulation. Most process controllers work in municipalities and, although they knew they had until 1 July 2025 to register, many have not complied.

Goldman says it comes from a combination of ignorance, unnecessary budgetary resistance by the powers that be, and the individuals themselves. Councillors, municipal managers, politicians and others in charge don’t want to spend money, although the cost of training is comparatively low. Individuals may fear that they don’t meet the standard or may not be able to maintain it going forward.

“These concerns are unnecessary - you spend less maintaining skills than maintaining broken infrastructure and processes, and professionalisation is not an obstacle but a career enhancer,” says Goldman.

A boon to the water sector
Regulation 3630 promises to enhance accountability, transparency and performance within the water sector - something many process controllers want. “They are finally being acknowledged as professionals, like engineers and scientists in the industry already are,” he says.

The well-known Blue Drop and Green Drop reports also draw a direct correlation between municipality performance and their capacity.

So, yes, water investment is welcome but people are just as critical as pipes and plants, and South Africa must invest in both to secure water resilience.

Goldman invites municipalities and process controllers to open a dialogue with WISA to air their concerns and understand the true benefits of professionalisation.
 
ENDS

MEDIA CONTACT: Idéle Prinsloo, [email protected], 082 573 9219, www.atthatpoint.co.za 
 
For more information on WISA please visit:
Website: https://wisa.org.za/
X: @WaterInstituteSA
LinkedIn: Water Institute of Southern Africa
Facebook: Water Institute of Southern Africa 
 
https://www.gov.za/news/media-statements/water-and-sanitation-more-10-billion-raised-during-water-investment-summit%C2%A0

https://infrastructurenews.co.za/2025/08/13/south-africas-new-water-plant-secures-future-supply-for-2-4-million-people/

https://www.gov.za/sites/default/files/gcis_document/202307/48865gon3630.pdf

Written by: Dr Lester Goldman, CEO of The Water Institute of Southern Africa and Dr Ashton Busani Mpofu, Non-Executive Director at The Water Institute of Southern Africa
​
South Africa is facing a growing water crisis. Climate change, ageing infrastructure, pollution, and unequal access are putting intense pressure on the country’s water systems. As dams run low, taps run dry, and communities struggle, a powerful question arises: can artificial intelligence (AI) help us change course?

In the words of Nelson Mandela: “Massive poverty and obscene inequality… rank alongside slavery and apartheid as social evils.”

These words echo louder today as millions of South Africans still live without reliable access to clean drinking water—despite rapid global advances in technology. The country loses nearly half its treated water to leaks, theft, and poor management. Meanwhile, the tools to fix these problems may already be within reach.

AI: a new ally in an old struggle
AI isn't just about robots and smart devices, it’s about using data and machine learning to make smarter decisions, faster. In the water sector, this means identifying leaks before pipes burst, forecasting droughts more accurately, preventing water pollution, and even improving how farmers irrigate their crops.

Across Africa, where similar water challenges persist, AI could be a game-changer, if deployed ethically and inclusively.

Smarter water management
AI’s real strength lies in its ability to process massive amounts of data. For water utilities, this can transform how systems are monitored and maintained.

• Early warning systems: AI can analyse satellite imagery and weather data to predict floods and droughts. In disaster-prone areas like KwaZulu-Natal, this helps officials act before a crisis hits.
• Leak detection & smart maintenance: AI tools can identify pressure drops or hidden leaks, saving precious water. South Africa loses up to 47% of its treated water—AI could drastically cut these losses.
• Digital twins: These are virtual replicas of water systems. Utilities can use them to simulate different scenarios, plan upgrades, and reduce maintenance costs.

Making every drop count in agriculture
Farming uses over 60% of South Africa’s water. With AI-powered irrigation, farmers can water only when needed, based on real-time data about soil moisture, weather, and crop type. These smart systems can:

• cut water use by 20–60%
• boost crop yields by 20–30%
• reduce reliance on chemical inputs and manual labour

Cleaner water, healthier communities
AI can also protect water quality. By analysing pollution patterns, machine learning models can detect contaminants from industries, mines, or agriculture. In rural and under-resourced areas, where data is scarce, AI can still predict pollution risks, helping prevent health hazards before they reach communities.

Tackling corruption and theft
Corruption and vandalism are major drains on the water sector. AI can help shine a light on financial misconduct by scanning procurement data for red flags—such as ghost suppliers or suspicious contracts.

Video surveillance and AI-powered drones can also monitor vulnerable infrastructure and detect theft in real time. Predictive models can map high-risk areas, helping municipalities focus resources where they’re needed most.

Closing the skills gap
There’s a severe shortage of technical expertise in South Africa’s water sector. AI can fill that gap—not by replacing people, but by supporting them. Tools like chatbots, remote dashboards, and automated alerts can help less-experienced staff operate complex systems with confidence.

AI also preserves institutional knowledge, digitising manuals and past case data to support decision-making—even when experienced technicians leave.

Building public engagement
Technology can also empower the public. AI-powered chatbots and multilingual apps can teach water-saving tips, notify users of local outages, and help people report leaks or vandalism. Communities become partners in managing water—not just passive recipients.

Ethics first: AI that works for everyone
While the promise of AI is enormous, it must be used responsibly. That means:

• ensuring access for rural and marginalised communities
• protecting privacy and sensitive data
• designing systems that minimise bias
• creating safeguards against job losses in vulnerable communities

Technology is never neutral, it reflects the values of its designers. To truly serve people, AI in the water sector must be guided by ethics, equity, and sustainability.

A way forward
To unlock AI’s full potential, South Africa needs to start with practical, high-impact projects—like leak detection and predictive maintenance. But technology alone isn’t enough. Investing in digital infrastructure, skills, and cross-sector partnerships is key.

If done right, AI can help deliver universal access to clean, safe water—and make the sector more resilient for the future.

As AI researcher Timnit Gebru said: “Technology is not neutral; it reflects the values of its creators.”

ENDS

 
MEDIA CONTACT: Idéle Prinsloo, [email protected], 082 573 9219, www.atthatpoint.co.za 
 
For more information on WISA please visit:
Website: https://wisa.org.za/
X: @WaterInstituteSA
LinkedIn: Water Institute of Southern Africa
Facebook: Water Institute of Southern Africa