<\/p>\n
As we observe International Water Week (Monday 16 to Friday 20 March), much of the conversation tends to revolve around a single, costly term: infrastructure.<\/p>\n
In South Africa, this conversation is often framed by a staggering figure \u2013 an estimated R400\u202fbillion maintenance backlog.<\/p>\n
Read:<\/p>\n
Failing water systems will cost R400bn to fix, says minister
\nGovernment allows emergency water-supply boost amid crisis
\nSA towns owe water boards R21.3bn \u2013 report<\/p>\n
While President Cyril Ramaphosa\u2019s 2026 State of the Nation Address rightly highlighted water security as a defining national priority, focusing only on \u201cfixing the pipes\u201d risks oversimplifying the complexity of the challenge.<\/p>\n
While infrastructure remains critical, it is equally important to recognise the role of effective water management and catchment stewardship, which are essential for securing long-term water resilience.<\/p>\n
At Sappi, our perspective is shaped by the uMkhomazi River, which provides a powerful \u2013 and practical \u2013 case study about the social contract around water usage.<\/p>\n
Our Saiccor Mill, a global hub for woodfibre innovation, is a massive engine for the KwaZulu-Natal economy, supporting thousands of jobs and generating billions in foreign revenue.<\/p>\n
To sustain this, we don\u2019t just \u2018use\u2019 water; we manage the ecosystem.<\/p>\n
Through our partnership with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), we invest heavily in the upstream catchment by clearing invasive alien plants \u2013 which are biological \u2018water thieves\u2019 \u2013 monitor water quality with citizen scientists, and work with communal landowners to ensure the river remains a living, functional asset for everyone.<\/p>\n
However, a new narrative is emerging from eThekwini. Faced with urban shortages, there are proposals to draw water directly from the uMkhomazi to supply Durban\u2019s suburbs and industry.<\/p>\n
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The risk here is profound.<\/p>\n
If the government views a river simply as a pipe to be tapped \u2013 without considering the existing economic ecosystem, the downstream jobs and the rural communities already dependent on that flow \u2013 they are simply relocating a crisis.<\/p>\n
Infrastructure without integrated management is a zero-sum game.<\/p>\n
This isn\u2019t just a KZN issue. It is a national and transboundary reality. Look at the Integrated Vaal River System and our reliance on the Lesotho Highlands Water Project.<\/p>\n
Whether it is water flowing across the Lesotho border or from the Drakensberg to the Indian Ocean, the challenge is the same: we cannot build our way out of a management deficit.<\/p>\n
The subjects of water and access to water are going to become increasingly emotive over time.<\/p>\n
We have seen various flashpoints featured in the media, where decisions about water usage are made to appease those who shout the loudest \u2013 and we hear them: we should all have access to clean water.<\/p>\n
The concern, however, is that such decisions are driven by short-term thinking rather than tapping into those who have a wealth of experience around water management.<\/p>\n
Read:<\/p>\n
Lesufi\u2019s growth push hinges on fixing water and crime
\n\u2018I haven\u2019t had water for 24 days\u2019 protester tells Joburg mayor
\nHow SA\u2019s Lesotho Highlands Water Project costs ballooned by R45bn
\nWar room set up in Johannesburg as water crisis spurs protests<\/p>\n
Whether it is eThekwini or Gauteng, roughly 50% of piped water is lost through leaking infrastructure. The problem is that we are trying to address a water infrastructure issue without understanding the impact of water management processes.<\/p>\n
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This is where our partnership with the WWF moves from \u2018nice to have\u2019 to \u2018business-critical\u2019. Across seven workstreams \u2013 including Water Governance and Sustainable Finance \u2013 we are proving that you can balance profit and purpose.<\/p>\n
Coupled with this, \u2018citizen scientists\u2019 have conducted water quality monitoring at Nzinga, Stofelton and Ntshiyabantu to establish baseline data for the uMkhomazi catchment.<\/p>\n
Read: Water \u2018bankruptcy\u2019 era has begun for billions, scientists say<\/p>\n
Sampling sites in Nzinga and Ntshiyabantu were located near local dumpsites to track improvements as cleanup efforts progressed, while in Stofelton, sites upstream and downstream of the uMkhomazi River were used to assess the impact of community activities and tributary inputs.<\/p>\n
Additionally, emerging research from the Gerana Initiative highlights the growing recognition that the health of river basins, soils and ecosystems is fundamental to long-term business resilience.<\/p>\n
Its soon-to-be-launched market opportunity scoping (MOS) study explores how companies are beginning to respond to mounting pressures in the landscapes that underpin global supply systems.<\/p>\n
Listen\/read:<\/p>\n
Infrastructure failure pushes Joburg towards day zero
\nWarnings grow as SA\u2019s water infrastructure nears breaking point
\nWater tanker mafias are threatening SA infrastructure and service delivery<\/p>\n
Supported by Sappi, the research also informs the development of Landscape Discovery Labs, including in the uMkhomazi River Basin in KZN, where the company works alongside farmers, foresters, communities and public institutions to strengthen landscape-level stewardship.<\/p>\n
What is important to remember about these projects is that they are a small component of a much larger ecosystem.<\/p>\n
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This ecosystem is under severe pressure, and as we have seen from recent headlines, these issues will impact you whether you are the president of the country or the CEO of a business.<\/p>\n
The only way we can tackle such a big problem is through collaboration and long-term planning.<\/p>\n
By identifying 200 000 hectares for potential biodiversity protection and leveraging co-financing from partners like Sanlam and Nedbank, we are creating a blueprint for water stewardship that doesn\u2019t wait for a R400 billion government cheque that may never arrive.<\/p>\n
Listen\/read:<\/p>\n
\u2018Leaking bucket of money\u2019: Joburg water crisis laid bare
\nFixing SA\u2019s water woes means curtailing municipalities\u2019 free-spending ways<\/p>\n
The game has changed. For an executive in a water-intensive industry, water usage is no longer just a line item in a sustainability report. It is at the core of our social contract.<\/p>\n
If we want to secure our \u2018license to operate\u2019, we must stop looking at water as a commodity to be extracted and start recognising catchments as assets to be managed.<\/p>\n
The question for leadership in 2026 is no longer\u00a0\u2018How much infrastructure can we build?\u2019 but rather\u00a0\u2018How much ecosystem can we protect?\u2019<\/p>\n
The future of South Africa\u2019s economy isn\u2019t just in the pipes \u2013 it\u2019s in the hills, the tributaries, and the collaborative management of the water that connects us all.<\/p>\n
Graeme Wild is the CEO of Sappi Southern Africa.<\/p>\n
#SAs #water #crisis #management #infrastructure #problem<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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