South Africa’s Water Access Gains Stall Amid Growing Service‑Delivery Challenges
The latest Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) General Household Survey for 2025 reveals that only a modest rise in household piped‑water access has occurred over the past two decades. In 2025, 87.4 % of South African homes reported having piped water inside the dwelling, in the garden, or at a communal tap – up from 84.4 % recorded in the inaugural 2002 survey.
Provincial trends hide a mixed picture
While the national figure edged upward by three percentage points, the survey highlights divergent provincial trajectories. Access actually fell in four provinces between 2002 and 2025:
- Limpopo
- Mpumalanga
- Free State
- Gauteng
Statistician‑General Risenga Maluleke noted that population growth in these regions compounds the strain on ageing infrastructure, offsetting gains made elsewhere.
Volume of connected households rises sharply
Despite the modest percentage increase, the absolute number of households receiving municipal piped water grew substantially. The survey estimates that 15.9 million households now have access, compared with 9.2 million in 2004 – a 72.8 % rise over the period.
Service interruptions worsen
Reliability remains a pressing concern. The proportion of households experiencing water cuts lasting more than two days, or a cumulative total of fifteen days per year, climbed from 24.3 % in 2012 to 37.6 % in 2025. Maluleke attributed this trend to deteriorating pipes, insufficient maintenance, and rising demand.
Human‑rights perspective on the Gauteng crisis
Earlier this month, the South African Human Rights Commission held hearings on Gauteng’s water crisis. Community leaders described:
- Persistent leaks flooding streets with raw sewage
- Collapsing water‑distribution networks
- A perceived lack of accountability from municipal authorities
They warned that the fallout extends beyond households, undermining small‑scale farming and threatening local food security.
Confidence in water security varies widely
When asked about confidence in future water availability, responses differed markedly by province:
- Limpopo: 92.3 % expressed confidence
- Northern Cape: only 64.7 % felt secure
Nationally, 83.5 % of households reported that their drinking water was clear, colourless and free of visible deposits.
Implications for education and school sanitation
A concurrent forum convened by the nonprofit Kagiso Trust examined how water access in schools influences learning outcomes. Participants heard from Limpopo High School student Kgodiso Masete:
“When students have access to clean water and adequate sanitation, they develop self‑confidence, self‑esteem and a sense of belonging in the school environment.”
Aluyolo Mbeki of Equal Education added that, in KwaZulu‑Natal, 57 % of surveyed schools had unreliable water supplies and 86 % lacked hand‑washing facilities.
Broader service‑delivery context
The 2025 General Household Survey also tracks other basic services:
- Social grant coverage rose from 12.8 % of individuals in 2003 to 39.5 % in 2025, with household coverage increasing from 30.8 % to 50.6 %.
- Access to the electricity grid grew from 76.7 % in 2002 to 90.6 % in 2025, though nearly a quarter of households still rely on wood, gas, petroleum or other fuels for cooking.
- Improved sanitation (flush toilets or ventilated improved pit latrines) reached 84 % of households, up from 61.7 % in 2002.
- Food insecurity worsened: almost a quarter of households deemed their food access inadequate or extremely inadequate, up 4.2 percentage points from 2019. The Northern Cape recorded the highest need at 43 %, while Limpopo reported the lowest at 6.1 %.
Survey methodology
The data were collected through face‑to‑face interviews with 20,095 households across South Africa between early January and mid‑December 2025. Stats SA’s rigorous sampling frame and weighting procedures aim to ensure national representativeness, allowing policymakers, researchers, and civil society to assess progress and identify gaps in service delivery.
As South Africa approaches the November 4 local elections, water access—both its improvements and its persistent shortcomings—remains a salient issue for voters. The survey’s findings provide a factual foundation for debates on infrastructure investment, maintenance prioritisation, and equitable service provision across the country’s diverse provinces.
