The Secretariat of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the Government of the Republic of Zambia and the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) commissioned the landmark Kazungula Water Project in Kazungula, Republic of Zambia on the 9th June 2025. The project is 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.
The commissioning of the 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.
Delivering the keynote address, on behalf of His Excellency Mr. Hakainde Hichilema, President of the Republic of Zambia, Minister of Water Development and Sanitation, Honourable Engineer Collins Nzovu, underscored that the primary objective of the project is to enhance water supply and sanitation systems in Kazungula, in anticipation of the district’s growing population, projected to increase from 5,500 in 2015, to approximately 22,000 by the year 2040.
Honourable Engineer Collins Nzovu commended the government of the Federal Republic of Germany, through KFW, for their financial support, and to the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) and the SADC Water Fund, for facilitating and managing the funding mechanism for the project.
His Excellency Mr. Elias M. Magosi, the Executive Secretary of SADC highlighted that the project transcends a local infrastructure upgrade and becomes a regional flagship that strengthens SADC’s collective drive toward water security, climate resilience, public health, and regional economic integration.
He outlined that Kazungula border town connecting the Republics of Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe and with a population of over 11,000 people, has long suffered from inadequate access to clean and safe drinking water and poor sanitation infrastructure.
H.E. Magosi noted that the opening of the Kazungula border town water supply and basic sanitation project will improve cross-border sanitation, support agricultural and industrial water demands, and build resilience in shared basins vulnerable to climate extremes.
H.E. Gabriela Bennemann, the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Botswana and Special Representative to SADC underlined that the completion of the project will benefit over 250,000 people, both residents and those transiting through Kazungula from improved access to safe water and sanitation services. She underlined that the project would increase accessibility and supply of clean water and guarantee economic integration and the transboundary sustainable management of natural resources.
