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Gauteng’s water load shifting crisis: Can Vodacom’s smart meters prevent collapse?
For years, South Africans have measured crises in stages of load shedding. Now, another kind of shutdown is creeping into daily life. This time, it is water.
Across Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni, and Tshwane, residents have faced dry taps and frustratingly low pressure. In February 2026, Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation David Mahlobo confirmed what many households already felt: Gauteng’s water network is under severe strain. Reservoir levels in much of the province have dipped below 60 percent capacity, and authorities introduced a demand reduction mechanism known as load shifting to prevent total system collapse.
In simple terms, it is water load shedding.
What load shifting really means
Load shifting involves redirecting water from reservoirs that are relatively stable to areas facing acute shortages. That can mean shutting off or throttling supply to certain zones to protect the broader network. The measure is temporary, but officials have warned it could take more than 10 days for the system to stabilise.
The impact may even ripple beyond Gauteng. Mahlobo indicated that provinces such as North West and Mpumalanga could feel knock-on effects.
The situation has been worsened by infrastructure failures and an illegal strike by Johannesburg Water workers, which disrupted supply in several areas. For many residents, it has felt like a déjà vu moment. Warnings about a looming water crisis in South Africa have been circulating for nearly two decades. Yet meaningful large-scale intervention has been slow.
Now, the private sector is stepping in with a technological response.
Vodacom’s smart meter solution
Vodacom, through Vodacom Business, has partnered with Macrocomm, Ontec and Mezzanine to deploy narrowband Internet of Things smart water meters. The aim is not simply to measure usage but to give municipalities far more control over how water is managed and billed.
According to Vodacom, the system provides near-real-time flow and pressure data. It can generate automated alerts when losses occur and enable zone-by-zone analysis. That means municipalities can detect leaks or abnormal usage patterns far quicker than with traditional manual readings.
This matters because non-revenue water, which includes leaks, theft, and inaccurate billing, remains one of the biggest hidden drains on municipal finances. By reducing losses and cutting manual meter reading costs, municipalities stand to strengthen both operations and revenue recovery.
The meters also integrate directly with municipal billing systems and support time-of-use tariffs. For cash-strapped cities, that level of billing accuracy and predictability could be game-changing.
Giving households more control
For residents, the promise is transparency. Households will be able to track daily water usage through a web portal. Alerts can be sent via WhatsApp or SMS, helping families spot unusual spikes before a shock bill lands.
In a province where water outages are becoming routine, empowering consumers to monitor and manage their own usage may also drive conservation. Demand-side management is critical in a region facing overabstraction and rising pressure on bulk supply systems.
Vodacom says the environmental impact is equally important. Smarter demand management can reduce the energy required for pumping and support broader water security and climate goals.
Built for scale
The smart water meters are designed to run on the Sigfox network. Each device includes an embedded antenna and a lithium battery with an expected lifespan of around 10 years. Vodacom points to its experience in rolling out smart electricity meters as proof that the model can scale effectively.
In mid-2024, the National Treasury appointed Vodacom Business as a smart metering service provider under the RT29 transversal contract, alongside six other bidders. That national framework gives municipalities access to pre-approved providers, potentially speeding up adoption.
Vodacom Business director Videsha Proothveerajh has emphasised that infrastructure challenges threaten both economic growth and social stability. A reliable water supply, she argues, is not optional but urgent.
A bigger crisis than load shedding?
On social media, many South Africans have started asking whether water instability could eclipse electricity shortages as the country’s most pressing infrastructure challenge. After all, while candles and generators can soften the blow of power cuts, there is no easy substitute when taps run dry.
Technology alone will not fix ageing pipes, governance gaps, or long-delayed maintenance. But in a province teetering on the edge of systemic failure, smarter data and real-time monitoring could be a powerful starting point.
As Gauteng navigates load shifting and reservoir strain, one thing is clear: the water conversation is no longer theoretical. It is immediate, personal, and increasingly digital.
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Source: MyBroadband
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