Tag: sanitation

On 6 August 2025, the cabinet approved the National Water Amendment Act to be tabled at Parliament. This will mark the third amendment to the National Water Act, 1998. The first amendment was in 1999, and the second in 2014. Across South Africa, the government is keenly aware of the issues facing the water sector and is taking decisive action.

In South Africa, the traditional one-size-fits-all approach to public sanitation has proven inadequate in addressing the unique needs of informal settlements. Informal settlements continue to grow, and residents are increasingly seeking in-house sanitation solutions that provide privacy and dignity.

As President Cyril Ramaphosa doubles down on the promise to turn South Africa into a ‘construction site', one factor in the infrastructure development equation has become increasingly vital to government plans' success. That factor is meaningful community-centred infrastructure development and involvement.

As South Africa faces an intensifying water crisis, government is placing the spotlight on the water and sanitation sector by shifting from the "business as usual" approach to unlock innovative funding for increased water infrastructure development. On Tuesday, 27 August 2024, President Cyril Ramaphosa approved the South African National Water Resources Infrastructure Agency SOC Limited Bill (the bill).

Infrastructure has been named a top priority for South Africa over the next few years as we seek to bounce back from global economic shocks such as the pandemic and war in Ukraine and refocus attention on promoting socio-economic development. 

There are still more than 3,900 South African schools with illegal pit toilets. We have launched a campaign calling on people in South Africa to petition the government to #EndPitToilets in South Africa’s schools, in an ongoing drive to address the issue. As part of the campaign, we have created a stunt, printing a newspaper insert with ink made from sterilised human faeces, taken from pit toilets.

The concept of sustainability is considered differently for developing countries versus developed countries. Developed economies tend to look at sustainability with a significant focus towards environmental impact and preservation. In contrast, developing countries consider sustainability from a socio-economic perspective, which includes infrastructure-related challenges, for example.

The COVID-19 pandemic has starkly illustrated how multiple water security risks affect the lives and livelihoods of millions of people across Africa, Kenya included. The pandemic has compounded the severity of the impacts resulting from water-related climate hazards, such as floods, droughts and cyclones.