By Chris Campbell, CEO of CESA

Recent media coverage has highlighted the ongoing water crisis in South Africa – a challenge that has gripped the country for decades and continues to threaten livelihoods and economic growth. This situation, compounded by local government challenges, demands urgent attention and decisive action.

Our industry stands ready to provide practical, sustainable solutions to help mitigate this crisis. While political will is evident in some quarters, often shaped by local government’s electoral commitments, chronic funding shortfalls and delays in implementation continue to hinder progress

Adequate government investment is essential to unlock the full capacity of South Africa’s consulting engineering sector. Without sufficient funding, even the most skilled and ready professionals cannot deliver the infrastructure solutions the country urgently needs.

Equally important is the need to streamline procurement processes. Complex, slow, and fragmented procurement procedures create bottlenecks that delay projects, increase costs, and limit the sector’s ability to respond swiftly to crises. By ensuring timely funding and more efficient procurement, government can empower our industry to accelerate infrastructure delivery, maximize technical expertise, and implement sustainable, long-term solutions that directly benefit communities and the economy.

Our members possess the expertise, experience, and readiness to lead the engineering response. This is a pivotal moment for our industry to step forward, demonstrate technical excellence, and deliver solutions that secure water for communities, strengthen the economy, and build national resilience. The time to act is now provided the opportunities are presented to our industry.