South Africa launches National Water Action Plan

President Cyril Ramaphosa unveiled a comprehensive National Water Action Plan on Thursday, July 23, 2026, outlining a government strategy to address South Africa's severe and persistent water crisis. The plan was launched in Pretoria following a meeting of the National Water Crisis Committee (WATERCOM) and coincides with a major water conference in Cape Town, where experts are gathering to discuss solutions to the country's infrastructure and service delivery challenges.

The strategy aims to ensure a reliable supply of quality water by tackling what officials identify as the core problem: not a scarcity of water, but failing municipal systems that cannot deliver it reliably. The plan sets out coordinated interventions across short, medium, and long-term horizons, focusing on infrastructure investment, regulatory reform, and combating corruption. Ramaphosa framed the effort as analogous to the government's previous work to end electricity load shedding, stating that a bold and decisive approach is now being applied to secure water for all citizens.

A background assessment paints a dire picture of the sector's condition. It found that 74 percent of water services authorities...