The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) and the Association of Water and Sanitation Institutions of South Africa (Awsisa) have signed an agreement to mark the start of a collaborative effort to expand access to clean water and improve sanitation for millions of South Africans.

The memorandum of cooperation was signed on the sidelines of the three-day inaugural African Union-Africa Water Investment Programme-hosted Water Investment Summit, held in Cape Town last week, by Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina and Awsisa chairperson Ramateu Monyokollo.

The agreement establishes a framework for cooperation that cements a shared commitment to unlock investment, drive innovation and expand access to clean water and dignified sanitation.

The DWS and Awsisa will work together to align strategies, programmes and plans across the sector; create platforms for joint engagement on policy development, legislative reviews and sector reforms; and facilitate research, data sharing and innovation to address pressing water and sanitation challenges.

The partnership will also promote leadership development, governance improvements and targeted capacity-building initiatives to fast-track service delivery.

In addition, the parties will collaborate on advocacy and public awareness campaigns, and co-host summits, workshops and initiatives focused on infrastructure delivery, climate resilience and transformation.

“This agreement is more than a symbolic gesture; it is a practical and urgent commitment to work side-by-side in solving South Africa’s water and sanitation challenges,” said Majodina, noting that access to clean water and proper sanitation is a basic human right and a cornerstone of public health, dignity and economic development.

“By pooling our expertise, resources and influence, we can accelerate the pace of change, address infrastructure backlogs, build institutional capacity and introduce innovative solutions that respond to the realities of our communities.”

This will create a water-secure South Africa and contribute meaningfully to Africa’s development goals.

The collaboration also reinforces South Africa’s leadership in advancing regional and global water agendas, while fostering knowledge-sharing and transformation within the sector, she concluded.