Efforts to address South Africa’s water challenges through various government policies is beginning to pay off, with more than 92% of the country’s households now enjoying greater access to improved water.

A state-mandated report on water and sanitation found that South Africa’s Western Cape province has the highest percentage of improved access (at 99.4%), followed closely by the Free State (99.3%), Northern Cape (99.1%) and Gauteng (98.6%). The report also shows universal access to improved drinking water sources in RDP households at 100% in Northern Cape and Free State.

However, despite these improvements, 15% of all households in the country still live further than 500m away from suitable water sources. Meanwhile, UN statistics show North African nations such as Algeria, Libya and Egypt having in excess of 92% coverage when it comes to improved water sources.   

29 November 2016
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