Water Meters for South Africa: Engelmann and the WECISA Project

The German Chamber of Industry and Commerce for Southern Africa (AHK Southern Africa) has, as part of the WECISA project water meters and Gateways introduced by Engelmann in South Africa. WECISA stands for Water Efficiency for Commercial and Industrial Southern Africa and addresses a key issue: Although South Africa is one of the world’s most water-scarce countries, average water consumption there is still around 218 liters per person per day. By comparison, the global average is about 173 liters. In South Africa, it is not always clear where the water is being consumed and where it is being wasted.

The project as an entertaining audio podcast:

As part of the WECISA project, eight commercial and industrial companies in Southern Africa are being supported. The goal is to achieve greater water efficiency at these sites. This, in turn, is only possible with consumption data measured at least hourly. This is the only way to ensure continuous consumption analysis. This is particularly relevant in larger buildings and properties. Water consumption there is often spread across different areas of use, without it always being clear where, when, and how much water is actually being used. Only through regular, automated data collection do consumption patterns become visible and anomalies detected early on. One thing is clear: What isn’t reliably measured is difficult to control.

Through the WECISA project and using Engelmann water meters, actual consumption is effectively tracked. This makes it possible to identify losses and present them transparently. This also leads to a change in user behavior. In the South African market, a water meter is not just a device that ultimately provides a figure for the bill. It creates transparency. And this leads to fairer billing and a more conscious use of water. The project was presented on September 4, 2026, by Vera Massie, project manager at the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (AHK) for Southern Africa, and Kathrina Hirsch, product manager at Engelmann, at the Export Initiative for Environmental Protection (EXI) CleanTech Conference. During the event, Carsten Schneider, Federal Minister for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety, also learned about the project.

Highlights from the conference: