While many South Africans have adapted to load shedding, water outages remain far more disruptive to daily life.
Backup water systems previously associated with farms, luxury estates or drought-prone regions are rapidly becoming part of mainstream household planning.
According to Mauritz Swartz, the plumbing and water buyer for Builders Warehouse, homeowners, families, and Airbnb hosts in South Africa are re-evaluating their approach to "waterproofing" their properties. This shift comes as maintenance of infrastructure, water outages, and disruptions in supply occur with greater frequency across the country.
Reliable water supply is no longer simply a convenience, but it is becoming the essential infrastructure of a home, he says.
“Recent supply interruptions in Gauteng have once again highlighted how vulnerable households are to ageing infrastructure, maintenance backlogs and rising urban demand. And while many South Africans have adapted to load shedding, water outages remain far more disruptive to daily life,” Swartz says.
