By Dylan Bettencourt
- A new report shows that water prices went up by 68% between 2020 and July 2025 across the whole country.
- Bad pipes and dry weather mean fixing the water system will cost a lot of extra money for poor households.
High water prices leave poor families with less money to pay for food and transport.
A new March 2026 Cost of Living Report by the Competition Commission shows just how bad things are.
Between 2020 and July 2025, the price of water shot up by 68%.
This is more than double the rate of other everyday prices, which only rose by about 30% over the same five years.
Data shows that poor households spend about 0.9% of their total budget just on keeping the water running every single month.
The report says municipalities are pushing up prices because the country’s water system is falling apart.
Old pipes keep breaking, towns owe too much money, and dry weather makes water scarce.
To fix these problems, local governments charge residents more.
President Cyril Ramaphosa spoke about these deep problems during his State of the Nation Address in 2026.
He said local governments face huge challenges in keeping water running.
But the plan to fix the broken system means people will have to keep paying higher bills.
These high water prices do not just hurt families at home. They push up the cost of everything else.
When farmers pay more to water their crops, food gets more expensive.
When a small shop pays more for water, it charges you more for the things you buy.
Although people spend more money on electricity right now, water bills are catching up fast.
The report shows no sign that these price jumps will stop anytime soon.
Pictured above: A woman carrying water.
Image source: Pexels
