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The Badirammogo Water User Association (BWUA), a member-owned operator of bulk water infrastructure in Limpopo, is advancing a long-running project to improve water supplies to communities and mining operations.The project serves the Bushveld Igneous Complex, home to some of the world’s largest platinum group metals and chrome mining operations.The BWUA said the first stage of the Olifants Management Model programme, a six-stage project to expand bulk water infrastructure in Limpopo, had finalised financing with climate-focused investment manager Climate Fund Managers. Stage one comprises bulk raw water pipelines, pump stations, water treatment infrastructure and supporting energy facilities. The funding milestone follows the signing of the project’s main commercial agreements in December 2025 and the start of detailed design, procurement and early construction in February this year.The multi-stage programme builds on the long-running Olifants River Water Resources Development Project and forms part of a R25bn public-private partnership to expand bulk water infrastructure in Limpopo. It was developed to increase supplies in Limpopo’s eastern Bushveld as demand from communities, municipalities and mining operations outstripped existing water infrastructure. The BWUA, formerly the Lebalelo Water User Association, was established in 2002 to develop and operate bulk water infrastructure, initially supplying mining companies operating in the eastern Bushveld before expanding its role.According to the association, its existing bulk water infrastructure draws water from the Olifants River in Limpopo’s Sekhukhune district and serves mining operations, including Valterra Platinum’s Mototolo mine near Burgersfort and Northam Platinum’s Booysendal mine near the Limpopo-Mpumalanga border, both on the eastern limb of the Bushveld Complex.The association’s membership includes companies involved in platinum group metals and chrome mining, including Valterra Platinum, Impala Platinum, Northam Platinum, Samancor Chrome and African Rainbow Minerals.According to the BWUA, the broader Olifants Management Model programme will comprise more than 875km of bulk raw and potable water pipelines, pump stations, water treatment infrastructure and supporting energy facilities across six stages.The overall programme is valued at about R25bn, with stage one accounting for about R8.5bn.Climate Fund Managers is providing the financing through Climate Investor Two, an EU-supported infrastructure investment facility. Last year, Climate Fund Managers approved an $86.2m (about R1.4bn) financing facility for the programme’s first stage.The BWUA said the next financing milestone would be finalising funding with a consortium of lenders comprising Absa, Nedbank and Standard Bank, while construction activities continue.“We now turn our attention to achieving financial close with our lenders and maintaining implementation momentum,” said BWUA CEO Kobus van Duvenhage.
