The Kazungula Water Project was commissioned on the 9th June 2025
Kazungula, Zambia, 9 June 2025 – The Secretariat of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the Government of the Republic of Zambia and the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) are pleased to announce the commissioning of the landmark Kazungula Water Project on 9 June 2025. His Excellency, President Hakainde Hichilema of the Republic of Zambia, represented by Minister of Water Development and Sanitation, Collins Nzovu, commissioned this significant initiative, aimed at enhancing water security and sanitation infrastructure along the strategic SADC North-South Corridor.
Funded under the SADC Water Fund hosted by the DBSA, the Kazungula Water Project represents a pivotal collaboration among regional and international stakeholders. The €12 million infrastructure development was primarily funded by the German Government through the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and KfW Development Bank, alongside a significant 10% investment contribution from the Zambian Government. Additional preparation financing of approximately €985,000 was provided by the SADC Project Preparation and Development Facility (PPDF).
The Kazungula Water Project encompasses extensive infrastructure upgrades and construction, which includes a new raw water intake facility on the Zambezi River, upgraded water treatment works, bulk water pipelines, and over 29 kilometers of primary and secondary distribution networks. The project also includes construction of community kiosks to ensure reliable access to potable water for lower-income residents, a modern pumping station, and storage reservoirs. Furthermore, the installation of a 220kV solar photovoltaic (PV) array and battery banks ensures the project's independence from the national electricity grid, enabling uninterrupted service delivery even in the event of power disruptions.
Mr Petrus Matji, Independent Non-executive Director at the DBSA, reflected on how this targeted initiative by the DBSA continues to play a critical role in building a resilient, inclusive and integrated SADC region. “The Kazungula Water Project’s goal is to deliver reliable and safe water, transforming lives and uplifting the community. We are proud to be part of such an initiative with our partners, as it speaks to who we are as we build Africa’s property.”
Kazungula Water Project marks a critical milestone toward achieving sustainable development and water security in the region. By providing reliable access to clean water and sanitation, the initiative contributes directly to improved health, environmental resilience, and economic growth in Kazungula and the surrounding border areas.
Water is the most shared resource in the SADC region, it is a basic need, and its accessibility is a basic human right. Yet due to the climate driven impacts, communities of the SADC region are becoming more vulnerable to droughts and floods, and this contributes to water scarcity and the growing demand for water. One of the primary objectives of the SADC Water Fund is to establish a sustainable fund for financing regional projects and pooling partner funding to help address this. Germany is happy to be a partner in this cause. Germany is currently the only funder of the SADC Water Fund and has so far supported it with 45 million Euros via Germany’s KfW Development Bank. We hope and anticipate that this project will be a steppingstone for other projects in the region that will be supported by more cooperating partners.”
The project's strategic location at the convergence of Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Namibia positions it as a vital development for regional trade and integration. The recently completed Kazungula Bridge and the one-stop border post between Zambia and Botswana have significantly increased water and sanitation demand in the region, making this project's timely implementation essential.
Through regional partnerships and international cooperation, the SADC Water Fund continues to deliver projects that address urgent cross-border water challenges. The Kazungula water project directly supports Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 6 and 11 by fostering regional integration, water and sanitation security, enhanced community livelihoods, and climate change resilience.
Upon completion, the Kazungula Water Project will provide clean water to approximately 20,000 residents along with thousands of people transiting through the busy border town. The sustainable water supply system also supports economic growth, with over 220 local employment opportunities created during the construction phase alone.
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For more information, please contact:
Mr. Prince Chiyuni, Principal Public Relations Officer Ministry of Water Development and Sanitation. Email: prince.chiyuni@mwds.gov.zm
Ms. Barbara Lopi, Head of Communication and Public Relations, SADC Secretariat Email: blopi@sadc.int and cc to prinfo@sadc.int
Mr. Soneni Phiri, Head of Communication, Marketing and Events, Development Bank of Southern Africa. Email: SoneniP@dbsa.org
SADC in Brief
SADC is an organisation of 16 Member States established in 1980 as the Southern African Development Coordinating Conference (SADCC) and later, in August,1992 transformed into the Southern African Development Community (SADC). The mission of SADC is to promote sustainable and equitable economic growth and socio-economic development through efficient, productive systems, deeper cooperation and integration, good governance and durable peace and security; so that the region emerges as a competitive and effective player in international relations and the world economy. Member States are Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
About the Development Bank of Southern Africa
The DBSA is a leading Development Finance Institution (DFI), wholly owned by the government of South Africa. Established in 1983, the DBSA is mandated to promote economic growth and regional integration by mobilising financial and other resources from national and international private and public sectors for sustainable development projects and programmes in South Africa, SADC, and the wider African continent.
For media contacts:
For more information visit www.dbsa.org. Email: dbsa@dbsa.org
About German Cooperation
The Federal Republic Germany is the world’s third-largest economy and a founding member of the European Union. German development cooperation exists since 1961. The most important tasks of German development policy include the global realization of human rights, the fight against hunger and poverty, the protection of the climate and biodiversity, health and education, gender equality, fair supply chains, the use of digitalization and technology transfer, and the strengthening of private investment to promote sustainable development worldwide. Germany aims to strengthen SADC in order to promote political and economic cooperation in the region. SADC-German cooperation is closely aligned with SADC’s policy priorities as well as to the advancing of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement. Germany, via three of its implementing organizations KfW, GIZ, and PTB, has supported the priorities set forth by SADC in its key development strategies – like the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) or the SADC Vision 2050. Germany has provided over 500 million Euros to the SADC Secretariat since 1992. Additionally, Germany is undertaking substantial bilateral development cooperation with eight SADC Member States – Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, the United Republic of Tanzania and Zambia. On top of that, Germany is among the top contributors to multilateral institutions such as the EU, UN agencies, IMF, World Bank, AfDB and other development banks.