But here's where the helpers and heroes come in. Organisations like Environmental and Rural Solutions, Lima Rural Development Foundation and Conservation South Africa, with WWF’s financial and strategic support, have been on a mission since 2018 to assist in safeguarding some of these water sources. Our collective goal? To protect and restore these natural springs, making sure they're clean and accessible – for the benefit of both people and nature.  

The process starts with the on-the-ground implementing partners talking to the local leaders, traditional healers and community members, getting their blessings to work in the area. Together, they choose the best springs to be secured based on factors like how fast the water replenishes in the spring, how many people rely on a spring, how far it is from homes and whether the springs are being used for traditional healing. 

Once a spring is chosen, it is time to roll up our sleeves. Invasive plants are removed to give more water back to the spring and the spring's eye – its upwelling source – is safeguarded to keep it clean.  

The spring water is then guided into storage tanks. These small tanks, like quiet reservoirs, fill up naturally overnight and get treated – with a treatment system built into the tank – to ensure the water is safe to drink. The extra storage means the spring’s water supply is more reliable and significantly cuts down the waiting times for women and children, leaving them more time to be at school and do other activities. And once the tank is full? Well, the extra water is given back to nature, continuing to provide for both plants and animals. 

But we can’t just build infrastructure without empowering the communities to be the stewards of their natural resources. After construction, traditional leaders become the custodians of the springs. Local "water champions" are trained to keep the tanks maintained.  

Young “EcoChamps” join the mission, spreading awareness about safe water and environmental care. Together, they create a ripple effect of change that positively impacts the environment, water resources and people’s well-being. 

WWF has since extended this spring work to other provinces, enabling the safeguarding of springs in the Enkangala Drakensberg Water Source Area and the Northern Drakensberg Water Source Area, both in neighbouring KwaZulu-Natal. 

In addition, WWF is taking this work beyond the on-the-ground benefits. We're turning these spring success stories into a process roadmap for others to follow. We're crafting a framework with practical case studies and a concise policy brief to encourage the government to support rural spring protection as a low-cost, suitable means of providing basic water access to difficult-to-access communities.  

With the backing of funding partners like Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Reckitt and the WWF Nedbank Green Trust, we've already revitalised 44 springs in the wider Matatiele area, helping more than 33 000 people with easier access to water – at a once-off cost of just R160–250 per person. And we are grateful for new funding support from Heineken and Glenfiddich so that this work can continue to benefit more communities. 

So, in South Africa's heartland, where nature's rhythm intertwines with daily human existence, a story of resilience and teamwork takes centre stage. Once neglected and accessed only by the early few, natural springs can now mirror the needs and determination of the communities safeguarding them.  

Every person has the right to access a decent, safe water supply. As an NGO, we cannot build dams and lay major pipelines to give these rural communities ready-to-use water. Hence, by protecting these close-by natural springs, we're mending and strengthening the natural safety net that can continue to support nature and the rural people of South Africa.