Cape Town’s population is consuming about 1,056 million litres per day, exceeding the City’s summer target of less than 975 million litres.https://www.bizcommunity.com/article/cape-towns-water-use-remains-too-high-despite-day-zero-lessons-840413a

There is a need for greater resilience in Gauteng’s water supply system, the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) said on Friday.https://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/greater-resilience-needed-for-gautengs-water-supply-2026-01-30

Limpopo, in northern South Africa, home to 6.6 million people, several large mines and the Kruger National Park (one of Africa’s largest game reserves), experienced unusually severe floods in mid-January 2026. Rural villages remained cut off from the world following the week-long heavy rains. The Kruger National Park was evacuated after camps and roads were flooded. The flooding caused an estimated R1.7 billion (US$106 million) worth of damage to homes, schools, roads and bridges. Climate change adaptation researcher Ephias Mugari explains that the impact of the floods was worsened by the poor shape of key infrastructure and limited plans for community-level evacuation. Clearer warnings, simple community measures and better flood preparedness could have saved lives.https://www.bizcommunity.com/article/south-africas-floods-turned-deadly-because-limpopo-wasnt-prepared-how-to-prevent-a-repeat-284207a

Bulk water services provider Rand Water has assured that the water it supplies is safe to consume, categorically dismissing claims suggesting otherwise as false and misleading. https://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/rand-water-assures-tap-water-safe-to-drink-2026-01-26

Dams across Limpopo have risen to full or above capacity, causing localised flooding as heavy rains across Limpopo and Mpumalanga continue, the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) warned on Thursday. https://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/limpopo-dams-remain-at-critical-levels-as-heavy-rains-continue-2026-01-22

South Africa’s water–security challenges are tightening at every link of the value chain, but engineers warn that the most overlooked threat is at the very beginning – in the form of waste treatment, says portable sanitation company Sanitech MD Robert Erasmus. https://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/decentralised-treatment-a-critical-water-safeguard-2026-01-16

With climate change intensifying droughts and reducing freshwater availability, population growth placing increasing pressure on existing resources, and industrial demands pushing water consumption to new heights, global water scarcity has emerged “as one of the most pressing challenges of our time” says industrial engineering and manufacturing firm Sulzer desalination infrastructure sales head Antonio de la Torre. https://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/company-powers-every-step-of-desalination-process-2026-01-16

While concerns about the circular economy have largely been centred around climate change, sustainability targets, and the global e-waste crisis. South Africa’s unique issues mean businesses often prioritise more urgent matters like crime, power constraints, inflation, and operational uncertainty. https://www.bizcommunity.com/article/how-it-asset-disposal-can-drive-south-africa-circular-economy-405669a

Operators of historic waste disposal facilities in South Africa have been called upon to apply for waste management licences (WMLs) for the first time since the National Environmental Management: Waste Act (Nemwa) came into effect 16 years ago, according to a group of Webber Wentzel attorneys. https://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/historic-waste-sites-must-apply-for-licences-16-years-after-waste-act-law-firm-advises-2026-01-15

The Rustenburg Waste Tyre Depot, visited by Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Deputy Minister Bernice Swarts, is not representative of the dire state of depots across the country, says tyre recycling initiative Recycling and Economic Development Initiative of South Africa (Redisa). https://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/governance-failures-turning-waste-tyre-depots-into-public-health-environmental-hazards-redisa-2026-01-09