Vera Massie
Project Manager - Water Management: Competence Centre Climate and Environment Kompetenzzentrum Klima und Umwelt
+27 (0)21 422 5577 vmassie@germanchamber.co.za
Organised by Baden-Württemberg International and supported by the state’s Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour and Tourism, the trip provided a platform for knowledge exchange, networking, and identifying sustainable business prospects.
The delegation’s visit began in Johannesburg with a welcome session and economic briefing, followed by site visits to key water and waste infrastructure, including TCTA’s acid mine drainage plant and Interwaste’s wastewater treatment facility. A key highlight was the conference “Innovative Water Management for a Sustainable Future”, which brought South African and German stakeholders together for in-depth discussions, company presentations, and business matchmaking. The programme concluded in KwaZulu-Natal with visits to Siza Water and Alpla’s recycling plant, a strategic roundtable with local partners, and an official reception celebrating the regional partnership between Baden-Württemberg and KwaZulu-Natal.
This visit underscored the shared commitment of South African and German partners to address pressing water challenges through innovation, collaboration, and sustainable business models.
The Conference Innovative Water Management for a Sustainable Future: German-South African Perspectives
The engaging keynote address ‘The perfect storm, the perfect opportunity, the convenient truth’ by Benoit Le Roy set the scene for the conference programme. He spoke about South Africa’s water resources, the state of our infrastructure, our institutional strengths and weaknesses and the economics of water supply. The first panel discussion tackled the dual challenges of flooding and water scarcity, calling for smarter planning and integrated approaches. In the afternoon, a second panel explored how technology can drive energy efficiency in water systems, particularly in municipal and industrial contexts. Nine participating companies from Baden-Württemberg showcased their innovative solutions and services, while structured networking sessions enabled direct business matchmaking and dialogue. The event underscored the importance of cross-sector collaboration, innovation, and long-term partnerships to advance water resilience in both regions.
The conference programme and presentations given at the conference are available for download below:
Dehoust GmbH: We manufacture decentralised water treatment systems, plastic, steel and stainless-steel tanks, steel and stainless-steel pressure vessels. https://www.dehoust.com/en-001/Home
KMU LOFT Cleanwater SE: We are a global leader in the sustainable treatment of industrial process water using vacuum evaporation as its core process. This process is widely applicable, very robust, and particularly cost-effective. It is uniquely suited to recirculation, i.e., zero liquid discharge. In South Africa we operate through our partner Talbot. https://www.klc-cleanwater.de/
ARIS GmbH: We develop and manufacture systems for rainwater management (infiltration and storage), rainwater harvesting, firefighting water supply, and greywater treatment for large projects. https://aris-systeme.de/
Zander Agro: We specialise in locating artesian water sources, particularly in challenging terrains such as granite, hills, and deserts. We use the geo-scanning method and proprietary software to identify drilling points and depths, ensuring a high success rate in water borehole discoveries. https://zander-agro.com/
VEGA Grieshaber KG: We have been in South Africa since 1997 and service the food, pharmaceutical, and water and wastewater industries with level and pressure sensors. https://www.vega.com/de
Inflotec GmbH represented by Föll Technology&Innovation ReProWa GmbH: We perform the foreign trade function for the company Inflotec. Inflotec is an innovative company that produces and deliver infrastructure-independent water treatment and pumping systems. http://www.inflotec.de/
hide and grow GmbH: We have developed a sensor-controlled, on-demand irrigation solution to minimize water consumption for green space irrigation compared to conventional time-controlled systems. https://hideandgrow.de/en/
Umwelttechnik Baden-Württemberg (UTBW): State Agency for Environmental Technology and Resource Efficiency. The core function of UTBW is to promote and strengthen the environmental technology sector in the State of Baden-Wuerttemberg. It acts as a competence network and innovation platform for companies, research institutions, and stakeholders involved in environmental technologies.
Green Space Center Baden-Württemberg: Our mission promotes global innovation with local impact. We support space-related companies in Baden-Württemberg. We focus on water management, New Space, and intelligent systems. Our vision establishes the region as a leading hub for sustainable space technologies.
The delegation was coordinated by Baden-Württemberg International, the Agency for International Economic and Scientific Cooperation of the State of Baden-Württemberg, and supported by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour, and Tourism of Baden-Württemberg. Baden-Württemberg has a Business Representation in South Africa, with Alexa Gerrard, Deputy Managing Director of the SAGCC, serving as the Business Representative. Since 2019, the Baden-Württemberg Business Representation has been fostering connections between companies from southwest Germany and Southern Africa.
