Geospatial information science company Afrigis has launched a new platform aimed at helping businesses, investors, insurers and financial institutions navigate insights and data to support water security decision-making.

Many organisations across South Africa do not have access to insights that enable them to translate water risks into actionable business strategies, and the new Resolve Water platform will bridge that critical gap.

“We are so incredibly excited . . . as we launch this very transformative platform that we believe will fundamentally shift how we are able to understand and manage water across South Africa and the rest of the continent,” says Afrigis CEO Rochelle Mountany.

“Our goal with Resolve Water is to help businesses move from passive awareness to proactive decision-making, making water-smart supply chains, resilient assets and sustainable finance portfolios the new standard. With this platform, businesses and financial institutions will have the confidence and the data they needed for return-on-investment-driven change.”

Built on a geospatial and data backbone that combines advanced geospatial analytics, predictive modelling and sector-specific financial metrics, Resolve Water aims to transform complex static information into real-time, clear, actionable insights and intelligence that support strategic decision-making and long-term value creation.

“Location-based, up-to-date intelligence can empower us to use and manage water efficiently, smarter . . . and this will create resilient businesses on the continent.”

South African companies currently use fragmented, outdated and broad data tools that do not delve deeply enough into what is happening with water at the local level, which makes the private sector hesitant to invest, adds Afrigis chief sustainability officer Helen Hulett.

“South Africa and many parts of Africa are experiencing a critical shortage of clean water, compounded by climate change, population growth and inefficient infrastructure. While climate risk is a global challenge, water risk is profoundly local – shaped by geography, infrastructure and governance. This makes water risk both more tangible and solvable, provided businesses and governments have the right data at their disposal.”

Resolve Water’s objective is to provide the private sector with the confidence to invest into the very complex water sector and assist in solving the water security challenge faced by South Africans.

“We believe water security is set to become a new competitive edge. Supply chains will be judged not just on emissions but on water resilience. Banks will need to understand water-adjusted credit risk, insurers will need to underwrite climate-sensitive portfolios with location-specific water intelligence and investors will look for real impact and resilience.”

She cites the example of companies with multiple locations that each need water risk management. However, each operation requires location-specific information related to water security and infrastructure, as well as government’s strategies and projects, any regulatory changes as water becomes more scarce, the status of an area’s water service provider, nonrevenue water and tariffs, besides others.

“This does not make an easy environment for the private sector to make a decision and to be confident enough to invest.”

Decision-makers need to know what a high water risk means for their operations, production, financials and return on investment.

“Resolve Water is the platform that enables all of this. It brings transparency and actionable insights to businesses, helping them mitigate risk and invest in sustainable water solutions that have long-term, measurable impacts on their bottom line,” she explains, noting that the platform integrates and enhances existing water data from a variety of sources, including government databases, satellite services and meteorological agencies, into a single decision-ready interface.

“We are currently consolidating all the data that is available. We are using government websites. We are going through documents where everything is in a static format. We are using satellite imagery to transform that data for the private sector,” Hulett continues.

With a focus on transparency and collaboration, the platform enables businesses to map water supply chain risks; quantify mitigation efforts; facilitate partnerships; and ensure environmental, social and governance alignment.

One of the aims is to unpack the water supply chain – from what is happening within the catchment, as well as catchment management agencies, water boards, the water user association, the water service provider and the water service authority, all the way down to reservoirs and various infrastructure.

“Every single company in South Africa should be able to pick a button and understand where the water is coming from and why, even though it is raining continuously, when they open their tap, there is no water coming out of it.”

Once a business understands the water risk and its implications, another focus area is what can be done about it, and the financial, social and environmental returns on investment.

“Water is starting to hit our economy quite fast. Production losses are being felt. We are starting to feel pressure. This is about water scarcity issues. Investors need some confidence that companies know how to manage their water risk,” she says.

“What business needs is clarity, precision and foresight, with real-time answers to drive smart decisions. The technology turns complex data into simple, actionable intelligence so you can protect value, build resilience and unlock new growth,” says Coca-Cola Beverages Africa group lead for water security Natasha Ramkirpal.

“The intent is for this platform to provide us with the ability to combine silo data sets from satellite imagery and hydrological models to municipal asset data and internal operational records into one consolidated view. It aims to improve the ability of the private sector to assess risks.”

The collaborative ecosystem will support proactive planning instead of a reactive response and create an environment where private sector data can be shared with municipalities to co-design infrastructure projects, where community water stress signals can be integrated into enterprise risk planning and where academics, nongovernmental organisations and business leaders can work from a common data set to design and deploy context-relevant solutions.

Resolve Water is still in the early phases of development, where the company’s first phase involves collecting and consolidating all the data, followed by a second phase of packaging tailored intelligence in a manner that fully supports business decision-making, before growing, alongside its clients, beyond South Africa, and into the rest of Africa.

“We cannot do it alone, and that is why we are looking for partners within the private sector to help ensure that we are designing to their needs,” Hulett says, encouraging interested stakeholders to reach out and potentially join the company’s advisory board or provide key input.

“This is not about solving the problem in isolation. It is about embracing our shared opportunity to shape a more resilient and sustainable future for everyone,” says Mountany.

“Resolve Water creates a platform for partnership, a place where the public and private sectors can come together grounded in shared insight and mutual interest. When we operate from this common understanding, we can align priorities, attract investments and build lasting resilience on the continent,” she concludes.