Ciaran Ryan of Moneyweb attended the recent Water Infrastructure event organised by Mergence, the JSE Private Placements and PSG Capital. He quotes some sobering stats from a presentation made by Xolani Zwane, deputy director-general of the Department of Water and Sanitation and then looks at options for the private sector to enter the sector to help the looming water crisis. Mergence’s investment via SA Water Works into the only two private water concessions in SA is discussed, showing the power and success of a public-private partnership.

Fixing SA’s water crisis – why private capital must be part of the solution
Public-private partnerships in the water sector: Chito Siame, Head: Private Equity at Mergence Investment Managers, examines the need for private