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,” said Afrigis CEO Rochelle Mountany.

Built on a geospatial and data backbone, combining 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 supports strategic decision-making and long-term value creation.

“Location-based, up-to-date intelligence can empower us to use and manage water efficiently and smarter, and very importantly, generate equity in return, which will create resilient businesses on the continent.”

Currently, South African companies were using fragmented, outdated and broad data tools that did not delve deeply enough into what was happening with water at the local level in South Africa, which left the private sector hesitant to invest, added Afrigis chief sustainability officer Helen Hulett.

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 Africa.

She cited the example of companies with multiple locations that each needed water risk management. Each operation required location-specific information related to water security and infrastructure, 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 high water risk means for their operations, production, financials and return on investments.

“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 continued, noting that one of the aims was to unpack the water supply chain, from what was happening within the catchment, involving catchment management agencies, water boards, the water user association, water service providers and the water service authority, all the way down to the 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 what it means for them, 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 said.

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 said, encouraging interested stakeholders to reach out and potential join the company’s advisory board or provide key input.

“Resolve Water creates a platform for partnership, a place where 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,” Mountany said.