Water and Sanitation Deputy Minister David Mahlobo is undertaking a high-level visit to Japan from February 23 to 27 in an effort to strengthen bilateral cooperation between South Africa and Japan in the area of water and sanitation.

The delegation includes senior officials from the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) and the Municipal Infrastructure Support Agency (MISA).

The visit aims to advance an existing technical cooperation agreement with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), with a particular focus on capacity building, skills transfer and sustainable water management solutions, and build on South Africa’s active bilateral cooperation with Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.

The partnership, formalised through a memorandum of cooperation, focuses on water infrastructure management, disaster risk reduction and capacity building, and has positioned Japan as a strategic technical partner in strengthening South Africa’s water sector.

Through the support of JICA, South Africa has already advanced the development of a comprehensive Non-Revenue Water Training Programme to strengthen the DWS Infrastructure Branch Training Centre in Roodeplaat.

The technical cooperation has resulted in the construction of a specialised training yard that simulates real municipal water systems and provides hands-on, practical learning directly aligned to the operational realities faced by municipalities.

Implemented in collaboration with the South African Local Government Association and MISA, the programme is designed by municipalities for municipalities, prioritising practical skills in pressure management, metering accuracy, data analysis and active leak detection and ensuring that solutions are sustainable and embedded within local institutions.

In terms of the technical cooperation agreement, ten South African officials a year, over the next three years, will participate in specialised training of trainers programmes in Japan, producing 30 accredited trainers.

This approach ensures that expertise gained in Japan is institutionalised locally and cascaded across the country.

Ten water sector officials, including representatives from municipalities, MISA and the DWS, participated in the intensive programme from February 2 to 13.

During the high-level visit, the delegation will engage with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism to review and strengthen the cooperation agreement, examine Japan’s water governance and licensing systems and explore advanced infrastructure and disaster resilience models.

As South Africa advances the establishment of the National Water Resources Infrastructure Agency, the delegation will also engage with the Japan Water Agency to draw lessons from its institutional framework.

Technical visits will include integrated river basin and flood management systems, reinforcing the shared focus on resilience and long-term planning.

For Japan, the partnership highlights its role as a trusted development partner and creates opportunities for innovation exchange and collaboration. For South Africa, the benefits are tangible and immediate, including strengthened municipal capacity, improved operational systems and a clear pathway toward measurable reductions in water losses.

Through strengthened cooperation with Japan, South Africa is taking practical steps to improve service delivery, support municipalities and secure the nation’s water future.

South Africa continues to face serious water sector challenges, with nonrevenue water identified in over 80% of assessed municipalities as a critical concern. Water that is lost through leaks, illegal connections or billing inefficiencies places immense strain on already constrained municipal finances and infrastructure systems.

Reducing these losses is central to restoring reliable supply, protecting revenue, improving infrastructure performance and safeguarding scarce water resources in a climate-constrained environment.