Factors explaining household payment for potable water in South Africa

Abstract

The critical role of clean water for sustaining life is enshrine in the Sustainable Development Goals 2030. However, water scarcity currently affects more than 40% of people globally and by 2030, demand for water is expected to grow by 50%. Maintaining current water usage in South Africa is anticipated to result in 17% water deficit in 2030 and this is expected to be exacerbated by climate change. Hence, this study seeks to explain factors influencing household payment for potable water utilizing the recently released South African Living Conditions Survey 2014/2015. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and probit model. Results reveals that 83% of the respondents received water from municipal water supplier while only 35% pay for water usage. The empirical result shows that socioeconomic characteristics of household head like gender, age and income positively influence payment for water while municipal water interruption for more than two days, black South Africans, keeping of livestock and involvement in agriculture negatively influence payment for water. Based on these findings, we recommend that South African water policy should address income inequality, encourage gender sensitive water management education and create awareness for prompt water tariff payment to promote sustainable water supply in South Africa.

Keywords

• household
• payment
• probit
• water
• south africa