South Africa and Eswatini to Sign Revised Komati Basin Water Treaty

The signing ceremony is expected to deepen bilateral relations between the two countries while reinforcing joint management of the transboundary river system.

South Africa and the Kingdom of Eswatini are set to strengthen cooperation on shared water resources through the signing of a revised treaty governing the development and utilisation of the Komati River Basin.

Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina and Eswatini’s Minister of Natural Resources and Energy, Prince Lonkhokhela Dlamini, will formally sign the Revised Treaty on the Development and Utilisation of the Water Resources of the Komati Basin at Maguga Dam in Eswatini on Friday, 13 March 2026.

The signing ceremony is expected to deepen bilateral relations between the two countries while reinforcing joint management of the transboundary river system.

According to the Department of Water and Sanitation, the meeting will also focus on improving river flow monitoring in the Komati Basin and ensuring that both countries comply with statutory water flow obligations to Mozambique, which lies downstream in the shared river system.

Department spokesperson Wisane Mavasa said the revised agreement represents a significant step toward advancing sustainable water management in the basin.

“The revised Treaty will unlock Phase Two developments to enable the Member States (South Africa and Eswatini) through the Komati Basin Water Authority (KOBWA) to venture into future Komati Basin dam projects and undertake revenue generation initiatives to benefit the citizens of the two countries and to ensure financial sustainability, and reduce its dependency on the Member States,” Mavasa said in a statement on Thursday.

The Komati Basin Water Authority (KOBWA) was established in 1992 as a bi-national institution through a treaty between South Africa and Eswatini. Its primary mandate was to implement Phase One of the Komati River Basin Development Project.

The first phase of the project included the design, construction, operation and maintenance of two key dams: Driekoppies Dam in South Africa and Maguga Dam in Eswatini. While Phase One has been successfully completed, the second phase of development has not yet been fully conceptualised.

The revised treaty is expected to lay the groundwork for future infrastructure development within the basin while also strengthening institutional capacity and financial sustainability within KOBWA.

The Komati River Basin is a critical transboundary water system shared by South Africa, Eswatini and Mozambique. It includes the Mlumati and Komati rivers, which eventually merge with the Crocodile River further downstream.

Water sharing arrangements form a key component of the basin’s management framework. South Africa and Eswatini share water from Maguga Dam on a 60/40 basis, while the Driekoppies Dam is utilised exclusively by South Africa.

Officials say the updated treaty will play an important role in ensuring that shared water resources are managed sustainably while supporting regional cooperation, economic development and long-term water security in the basin.