Water Wheel July/Aug 2025: Basic Services

Abstract

The latest survey was conducted between January and December 2024. Stats SA has been conducting the GHS annually since 2002. The surveys provide a critical assessment of the levels of development in the country as well as the extent of service delivery and the quality of services in a number of key service sectors, including water and sanitation, access to food, electricity and healthcare, among others. According to the latest survey, while 71,8% of urban residents have access to safely managed water, only 36,7% of rural populations do – and nearly all those relying on limited, unimproved or even surface water live in rural areas. In contrast, access to basic water is higher in rural areas (44,2%) than in urban ones (27,5%), highlighting the uneven quality of supply. Basic water service refers to an improved source where collection takes no more than 30 minutes for a round trip, including any time spent queuing. If collection takes longer than 30 minutes, even from an improved source, it falls under limited access.

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