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South africa

Location

  • Geographical region: Sub-Saharan Africa, Africa
  • SDG region: SDG Sub-Saharan Africa

Land

  • Total area: --- km2
  • Land area: 1,213,090 km(2020)
  • Land use by sector: 79% agriculture, 14% forest and 7% other (2018 - 2020)

People

  • Total population: 59,893,885 people (2022)
  • Population density: 49 people per km2 (2020)  
  • Urbanisation: 67% lives in urban areas and 32% lives in rural areas (2020)  

Economy

  • Total GDP: 751,193,927,659 USD per year (2020)
  • GDP per capita: 12,542 USD per year (2020)
  • Value added by sector: 2% from agriculture, 65% from services and 24% from industry (2020 - 2022)
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SDG 6 snapshot in South Africa

  • Drinking water

    --- % of the population in South Africa uses a safely managed drinking water service (SDG indicator 6.1.1, 2022)
  • Sanitation

    72 % of the population in South Africa uses a safely managed sanitation service (SDG indicator 6.2.1a, 2022)
  • Hygiene

    44 % of the population in South Africa has a handwashing facility with soap and water available at home (SDG indicator 6.2.1b, 2020)
  • Wastewater

    41 % of domestic wastewater in South Africa is safely treated (SDG indicator 6.3.1, 2022)
  • Water quality

    71 % of monitored water bodies in South Africa has good ambient water quality (SDG indicator 6.3.2, 2023)
  • Efficiency

    16 $/m<sup>3</sup> is the value added from the use of water by people and the economy in South Africa (SDG indicator 6.4.1, 2021)
  • Water stress

    67 % of the renewable water resources in South Africa is being withdrawn, after taking into account environmental flow requirements (SDG indicator 6.4.2, 2021)
  • Water management

    60 % is the degree of implementation of integrated water resources management in South Africa (SDG indicator 6.5.1, 2023) 
  • Transboundary

    96 % of transboundary basin area has an operational arrangement for water cooperation (SDG indicator 6.5.2, 2023)
  • Ecosystems

    26 % of the water basins in South Africa is experiencing rapid changes in the area covered by surface waters (SDG 6 indicator 6.6.1, 2020)
  • Cooperation

    7 m$ is the amount of water- and sanitation-related official development assistance received by South Africa in 2022 (SDG indicator 6.a.1)
  • Participation

    + is the number of sub-sectors (out of 6) with a high level of participation by communities in South Africa (SDG indicator 6.b.1, 2021)

Drinking water

6.1.1 Proportion of population using safely managed drinking water services in South Africa, progress over time

6.1.1 Proportion of population using safely managed drinking water services in South Africa, by service level and location (2022)

Sanitation and hygiene

6.2.1a Proportion of population using safely managed sanitation services in South Africa, progress over time

6.2.1a Proportion of population using safely managed sanitation services in South Africa, by service level and location (2022)

6.2.1b Proportion of population with a handwashing facility with soap and water available at home in South Africa, by service level and location (2022)

Water quality and wastewater

6.3.1 Proportion of wastewater flow (safely) treated > Domestic in South Africa (2022), compared to other countries (and areas) in the region

6.3.1 Proportion of wastewater flow (safely) treated in South Africa, by source (2022)

6.3.2 Level 1 Proportion of bodies of water with good ambient water quality in South Africa (2020-2023), compared to other countries (and areas) in the region

Water use and scarcity

Water resources and withdrawal in South Africa, total and per capita

Long-term average annual precipitation in depth: 495 (mm/year) (2020)

Renewable water resources: 905 m3 per capita (2017)

Water withdrawal: 273 m3 per capita (2013)

Environmental flow requirements: % of the renewable water resources ()

6.4.2 Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of available freshwater resources in South Africa, change over time, compared to other countries (and areas) in the region

6.4.1 Change in water-use efficiency over time in South Africa, by sector (2020)

Water-use efficiency for ‘Agriculture, forestry and fishing’ only takes into account the proportion of gross value added that comes from irrigated agriculture, since that activity is associated with water withdrawal (other activities are rain-fed).

6.4.1 Change in water-use efficiency over time in South Africa, progress over time, compared to other countries (and areas) in the region

Water resources management

6.5.1 Degree of integrated water resources management implementation (0-100) in South Africa, progress over time, by dimension

Very low (0-10) – Low (11-30) – Medium-low (31-50) – Medium-high (51-70) – High (71-90) – Very high (91-100)

6.5.2 Proportion of transboundary basin area with an operational arrangement for water cooperation in South Africa, progress over time, by component

Very low (0-10) – Low (11-30) – Medium-low (31-50) – Medium-high (51-70) – High (71-90) – Very high (91-100)

International cooperation and capacity-building

6.a.1 Amount of water- and sanitation-related official development assistance received by South Africa, over time

6.a.1 Amount of water- and sanitation-related official development assistance received by South Africa in 2022, by sub-sector

Water and sanitation-related official development assistance includes water sector policy and governance, water supply, sanitation, water sector policy, water resources conservation, river basins development, waste management/disposal, education and training, agricultural water resources and hydroelectric power.

Annual expenditure for drinking water, sanitation and hygiene in South Africa, by funding source

Community participation

6.b.1 Procedures in law or policy for participation by users/communities and level of participation in South Africa (2021)

6.b.1 Level of participation by users/communities in South Africa, progress over time, by sub-sector