The Coca-Cola system and water-sector partners have announced a planned R500 million initiative to tackle municipal water losses in South Africa, with the first phase set to begin in the City of Tshwane.
The South Africa Non-Revenue Water Mechanism aims to mobilise R250 million in private investment between 2026 and 2031, matched by public-sector partners. The combined funding is intended for municipal water infrastructure and non-revenue water reduction initiatives in Gauteng.
The announcement followed a meeting with President Cyril Ramaphosa. The initiative is part of Coca-Cola’s Africa Water Stewardship Initiative and is intended to reduce water and revenue losses while creating a model for private-sector investment in municipal systems.
Initial interventions in Tshwane will focus on pressure management to help reduce leaks, alongside infrastructure to improve the monitoring and accountability of industrial effluent, according to Coca-Cola’s announcement. The company said the programme could expand to additional municipalities over time.
Partners named in the initiative include Coca-Cola Beverages Africa, the World Bank Group’s 2030 Water Resources Group, the Platform for a Water Secure Gauteng, the Department of Water and Sanitation, Rand Water Services, Global Water Challenge and the City of Tshwane.
Water-loss challenge
South Africa’s Department of Water and Sanitation reported that national non-revenue water rose from 37% in 2014 to 47% in 2023. The department attributes these losses not only to leaking pipes, but also to metering failures, illegal connections and weaknesses in billing and revenue collection.
The figure highlights the scale of the challenge facing municipalities, but it should not be interpreted as meaning that 47% of treated water is lost solely through pipe leaks. Non-revenue water includes water supplied but not billed, for physical and administrative reasons.
Separate investment plan
The water initiative follows Coca-Cola’s announcement of a planned R17.6 billion investment in South Africa through 2030. The company’s release presents that investment as a separate commitment, rather than funding already allocated to the R500 million mechanism.
The R500 million programme is a target for funds to be mobilised over five years. Coca-Cola’s announcement does not say that the full amount has already been raised or disbursed.
