Event: UK Water Sector Mission to South Africa – British Water Delegation

Date: December 2023

Location: Johannesburg, Pretoria & Cape Town, South Africa

Role: British Water Lead / International Collaboration Lead

Type of CPD: International mission / sector diplomacy / innovation exchange / strategic partnership development

Duration: Multi‑day mission (meetings, site visits, workshops and bilateral engagements)

Summary of the Event

I participated in the UK Water Sector Mission to South Africa in December 2023, representing British Water as delegation lead. The mission brought together UK utilities, technology innovators, government representatives and industry partners to strengthen collaboration with South African water authorities, municipalities, research institutions and private‑sector organisations.

The programme included high‑level meetings, technical workshops, site visits and innovation showcases across Johannesburg, Pretoria and Cape Town. Discussions focused on shared challenges such as water scarcity, infrastructure resilience, non‑revenue water, wastewater treatment performance, digital transformation and environmental monitoring.

As British Water Lead, I played a central role in shaping the delegation’s engagement, facilitating dialogue, and promoting UK expertise in real‑time monitoring, digital optimisation and advanced sensing technologies.

My Contribution: British Water Lead

Leadership and representation

• Led the British Water delegation, coordinating engagement with South African utilities, government agencies and industry partners.
• Represented UK water‑sector capabilities in high‑level meetings with municipal leaders, national water authorities and research institutions.
• Acted as a primary liaison between UK companies and South African stakeholders to identify collaboration opportunities.

Technical and strategic contribution

• Presented on the role of real‑time biological monitoring and microbial activity sensing in improving treatment stability, early‑warning detection and environmental performance.
• Facilitated discussions on integrating biological data into digital optimisation platforms, including analytics dashboards and automated alerts.
• Supported workshops on innovation adoption, pilot design and scaling strategies for advanced monitoring technologies.
• Provided insight into UK regulatory expectations, PR24 drivers and digital transformation pathways relevant to South African priorities.

Partnership development

• Helped identify opportunities for joint research, pilot deployments and commercial partnerships between UK innovators and South African utilities.
• Strengthened relationships with South African water boards, academic institutions and technology partners.
• Supported British Water’s strategic objective of expanding international collaboration and market access.

Key Themes Covered

• Water scarcity and resilience Drought management, demand reduction, leakage control and infrastructure planning.
• Wastewater treatment and environmental performance Biological process optimisation, compliance challenges and monitoring needs.
• Digital transformation and smart water systems Data integration, digital twins, automation and predictive analytics.
• Real‑time monitoring and sensing technologies Biological, chemical and physical sensors for operational optimisation.
• Non‑revenue water and network efficiency Leakage detection, pressure management and asset performance.
• International collaboration and capacity building Knowledge exchange, skills development and innovation partnerships.