The SADC Water and Sanitation Fund
A Collaborative Approach to Water Security in Southern Africa
Overview
The SADC Water and Sanitation Fund, launched in 2012, as a partnership between:
- Southern African Development Community (SADC)
- Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA)
- Government of Germany, through KfW
The Fund strengthens regional water sector coordination and supports the development of essential water and sanitation infrastructure. Its goal is to ensure affordable, sustainable access to safe water for underserved populations in the SADC region.
About the Fund
Launched in 2012, the Fund channels international contributions into the regional water sector. Managed by DBSA, it identifies and implements projects that strengthen water security and sanitation access across SADC.
Funding & Support
EUR 45 million has been committed by Germany through KfW since 2012. The DBSA serves as project executing agency through a dedicated Project Implementing Unit (PIU). Responsibilities include: identifying projects, overseeing implementation, and mobilising new funding sources.
Eligibility
Who may apply: SADC member state public institutions aiming to promote economic development, regional integration, and poverty alleviation within the region.
Eligible projects must:
- Be poverty-focused and pro-development
- Fit into national or regional water strategies
- Align with IWRM and Nexus principles
- Complete environmental and social assessments
- Provide a minimum 10% contribution (excluding taxes) from project owners
The Fund prioritises projects that deliver poverty-focused and transboundary benefits to:
Strengthen regional integration
Align with Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) and the Nexus approach
Are implementation-ready and included in national or regional masterplans.
Consider environmental and social impacts
Application Process
Submit to: SADCWaterFund@dbsa.org
Required documents:
- Application letter
- Project details
- Contact details of the organisation
- Project description
- Project objective
- Geographical coverage
- Current project stage
- Project stage (for which the SADC Water Fund support is required)
- Development impact
- Total cost & financing plan
- Full background: technical details, financial position, institutional setup of the proposed project, environmental impacts and project benefits
Selection process:
- Compliance check
- Early Assessment Report (EAR)
- Technical & financial due diligence
- Appraisal Report (AR) for review of the Project Management Board
Evaluation criteria:
- Project sponsor capacity
- Technical quality and cost efficiency
- Financial sustainability
- Regional integration
- Alignment with IWRM & Nexus principles
Kazungula Water Supply Project (Zambia) - Border town project at the crossroads of Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Namibia.
- Water treatment and reticulation network
- The project is strategically located as it follows the construction of a new cross-border bridge over the Zambezi River. This enhances connectivity between Zambia and Botswana, thereby facilitating a regional trade corridor
- Beneficiaries: 12,500 residents + transient populations
- Status: Near completion, commissioned in May 2025
Lomahasha–Namaacha Cross-Border Project (Eswatini & Mozambique)
- Addresses the water supply challenges faced by the mountainous border towns (Eswatini) and Namaacha (Mozambique).
- Rising mains, reservoirs, distribution rehabilitation
- Status: 25% complete; started October 2024, due September 2026
Ramotswa Transboundary Aquifer Project (Botswana & South Africa)
- Addresses the pressing challenge of groundwater contamination in the cross border aquifer
- Tackling groundwater contamination
- Requires additional studies for sustainable design
- Study financed via SADC PPDF