Cape Town has become the water capital of the continent this week, as more than 2 000 scientists, engineers, researchers, policymakers, municipal leaders and private sector partners from across Southern Africa gathered at the Cape Town International Convention Centre for the Water Institute of Southern Africa (WISA) Biennial Conference and Exhibition.
Running from 22 to 24 July 2026 under the theme Rethink Amanzi – Securing Our Future, the conference is one of Africa’s leading platforms for advancing research, innovation and collaboration in the water sector – and South Africa is proudly playing host.
Innovation at the centre of water security
Opening the conference, Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina said innovation, research and strong partnerships will be critical to securing South Africa’s water future.
“The increasingly complex challenges confronting the water sector cannot be solved by any single institution acting alone,” the Minister said.
Majodina described innovation as central to government’s efforts to move from managing recurring water challenges to building long-term water security. “The future of water security will be built through innovation, collaboration and evidence-based policymaking,” she said.
Securing the country’s water future, she added, will require more than investing in infrastructure alone: “It will demand new forms of leadership, new governance models, new financing mechanisms, new technologies and, perhaps most importantly, a renewed commitment to collective action.”
Hundreds of papers, cutting-edge ideas
Over three days, delegates are interrogating the sector’s big themes, including resilient infrastructure, innovative financing, climate adaptation, digital technologies, groundwater development, water reuse, circular economy approaches, citizen science, youth leadership and the future of water research.
Hundreds of technical papers are being presented, covering topics from emerging contaminants and advanced treatment to water reuse and artificial intelligence. The Minister noted that technological advances – including artificial intelligence, machine learning and smart monitoring systems – are already transforming water management by improving predictive maintenance, operational efficiency and decision-making, while complementing rather than replacing skilled professionals.
Majodina also stressed the importance of developing the next generation of water professionals, saying investment in engineers, scientists, researchers and young practitioners is essential to the sector’s long-term sustainability. She called for blended financing models that combine public, private and development finance to modernise water infrastructure while keeping water a public good.
South Africa leading regional cooperation
The country’s leadership extends well beyond its borders. South Africa recently co-chaired the 44th Southern African Development Community (SADC) Joint Meeting of Ministers Responsible for Water and Energy, where member states reaffirmed their commitment to collaboration on shared watercourses, climate resilience and regional infrastructure development.
South Africa has also proposed the establishment of a SADC Water Week to strengthen regional collaboration, knowledge-sharing and innovation across the water sector.
Closing her address, the Minister urged delegates to use the gathering to forge new partnerships, exchange ideas and develop practical solutions. “The true success of this conference will be measured by partnerships formed, innovations adopted, institutions strengthened and tangible improvements for millions of South Africans,” she said.
With the world’s water thinkers gathered on its shores and fresh ideas flowing as freely as the conversations, South Africa is once again showing that when it comes to tackling the continent’s biggest challenges, it leads from the front. The full story is available from SAnews.
Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
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