Water Research Commission

What Water Research Commission does

Water Research Commission (WRC) is a South African statutory research body established in 1971 and headquartered in Pretoria, with 51–100 employees. Its mandate is to coordinate, fund, commission, and disseminate water research across South Africa. WRC does not operate as a commercial enterprise; it is government-funded and functions as a national water knowledge node serving municipalities, academic and research institutions, policymakers, schools, and the general public.

WRC's core offerings span knowledge products, digital resources, and sector programmes. Knowledge products include the Water SA peer-reviewed scientific journal (published quarterly since 1975, open access under Creative Commons, 2020 impact factor 1.247), The Water Wheel bi-monthly public science magazine (six editions per year, distributed across South Africa and SADC countries), and the WIN-SA knowledge sharing network targeting local government. Digital resources include the Knowledge Hub searchable database and a suite of E-Tools (Benchleak, DESDAF, Econolea, HRPMS, IMPAHLA, NewGreen, OOTEN, Presmac, Rural Tariff, RWSSM, SANFLOW) for water management calculations, plus the Mine Water Atlas and Mine Closure Risk and Opportunity Atlas. Programmes include SASTEP (school sanitation), WADER (water innovation bridging), FET Water (further education), Lift (drought management), Natsilt (salt management), Water GEP, Water Resources 2012, and the Water RDI Roadmap.

WRC's revenue model is predominantly government allocation via the Department of Water and Sanitation and the Department of Science and Technology, supplemented by modest subscription revenue from The Water Wheel. Water SA is open access and free; most WRC resources are freely available. Distribution is regional (South Africa and SADC) and primarily direct to institutional stakeholders through partnerships, networks, and educational channels. Strategic positioning is increasingly international, with active engagement at the AU-AIP G20 Water Investment Conference and partnerships extending to Singapore-based institutions.

Name

Water Research Commission

Legal name

Water Research Commission

Website

https://wrc.org.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Water Research Commission is a South African statutory research body, established in 1971, that funds, commissions, and disseminates water research. It serves municipalities, academic institutions, policymakers, schools, and the public through journals, knowledge networks, digital tools, and sector programmes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water Research and Knowledge Services

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Environmental Consulting Services (541620), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Academic & Scholarly Journals Publishing (Peer-Reviewed) (MPAJABAC), Water Resources & Watershed Protection (BPAGAGAK), Wellhead Protection & Source Water Protection Studies (EUAHAFAK), Scientific & Laboratory Reference (Chemistry, Biology, Physics; Methods & Protocols) (EDAGAGAG)

Keywords

• Water research funding
• Water resource management
• Scientific publishing
• Knowledge dissemination
• Public water education

Headquarters

HQ city

Pretoria

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Research Commissioning and Grants: WRC commissions and funds water research through government allocated funds and strategic partnerships. It manages research programmes and distributes funding to researchers and institutions.
2. Publications and Subscriptions: Distribution of Water SA journal, Water Wheel magazine, and research documents. Water SA is open access; Water Wheel is subscription-based with 6 editions per year.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Water Research Commission funds, commissions, and coordinates water-related research and disseminates the resulting knowledge through scientific journals, magazines, online platforms, and educational programmes. Its deliverables include research outputs targeted at water-sector professionals and accessible learning materials aimed at schools, learners, and the broader public.

Product overview

The Water Research Commission (WRC) operates as South Africa's primary water research organization offering a portfolio of knowledge products, educational resources, digital tools, and research programs. The core offerings include Water SA (scientific journal), The Water Wheel (public magazine), and WIN-SA (knowledge sharing network). Educational initiatives encompass Lesson Plans (Grade R-10), Thirsty Three, and Water Kidz Articles. Digital resources include the Knowledge Hub search system, E-Tools collection, Mine Water Atlas, and Mine Closure Risk and Opportunity Atlas. Research programs include SASTEP (sanitation transformation), WADER (water innovation support), FET Water, Water Resources 2012, Lift (drought management), Natsilt (salt management), Water GEP, and Water RDI Roadmap. The WRC functions as a research coordination body rather than a commercial product company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Water SA: WRC's accredited scientific journal containing original research articles on all aspects of water science, technology, engineering and policy
• The Water Wheel
• WIN-SA

Products and services

• Water SA journal

Quantifiable outcome

• Water SA 2020 Impact Factor: 1.247; 5-year Impact Factor: 1.589
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• TÜV SÜDminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 March 2026Hosted study tour in Singapore (March 16-20, 2026) as part of WRC's Young Engineers Changemakers Programme. Engagements focused on building municipal capacity for water sector innovation.
• NUS Environmental Research InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 March 2026Hosted study tour in Singapore as part of WRC's Young Engineers Changemakers Programme, focusing on safe drinking water access, reducing water losses, and advancing water treatment technologies.
• Department of Science and TechnologycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014WADER (Water Research Development and Innovation) programme launched as partnership between WRC and Department of Science and Technology in 2014. Bridge the gap between research and development and pre-commercialisation stages of innovation in the water sector.
• George MunicipalityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014George Municipality participates in WRC's Young Engineers Changemakers Programme. Senior Process Controller selected to represent municipality in international engineering exchange.
• Trans-Caledon Tunnel AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInstitutional capacity identified for scaling desalination infrastructure in South Africa. Mentioned as existing institutional entity alongside WRC for water security initiatives.
• Share-Net (Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Share-Net (project of WESSA) to develop educational lesson plans on water for Grade R to Grade 10, linked to South African National Curriculum.
• Association of Water and Sanitation Institutions of South Africa (AWSISA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAWSISA organizes the 2nd Africa and Global South Water and Sanitation Dialogue scheduled for November 2026 at Durban International Convention Centre, coinciding with African Union's Year of Water.
• Department of Water and SanitationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMinister of Water and Sanitation and WRC collaborate on water investment conferences and policy initiatives. Partnership formalized through Memorandum of Cooperation signed at AU-AIP G20 Water Investment Conference.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Water Research Foundation: US-based nonprofit that funds and disseminates water research on behalf of utilities; the closest functional analogue to WRC's statutory research-funding and knowledge-dissemination model, though operating in a different geography.
• UK Water Industry Research (UKWIR): UK organisation that commissions collaborative water research on behalf of water companies and disseminates findings — same research-commissioning-and-dissemination business model as WRC.
• Water Institute of Southern Africa (WISA): South African professional body for the water sector that convenes practitioners, disseminates knowledge, and engages with municipalities — directly comparable to WRC's domestic stakeholder engagement role.
• IWA Publishing: Publishing arm of the International Water Association producing peer-reviewed water journals — directly comparable to WRC's Water SA journal publishing activity.

Broad incumbents

• International Water Association (IWA): Global network for water professionals that publishes leading peer-reviewed water journals and disseminates research worldwide — overlapping with WRC's publishing and convening mission at a much larger international scale.
• Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR): South Africa's statutory R&D body covering many disciplines; comparable as a public R&D institution but with a much broader mandate beyond water.
• Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI): International water knowledge institute that convenes Stockholm World Water Week and produces water research outputs — comparable convening and knowledge-dissemination role to WRC at global scale.
• DHI Group: Global water and environment consulting and software firm developing water modelling and digital tools — comparable to WRC's E-Tools portfolio (SANFLOW, DESDAF) but as a commercial technology provider.

Emerging players

• IRC (formerly IRC WASH): Global non-profit focused on water, sanitation, and hygiene research and knowledge for the development sector — overlapping with WRC's WIN-SA knowledge network and sanitation mandate.

Regional players

• Umgeni Water: South African state-owned water utility that funds and applies water research in KwaZulu-Natal — overlaps with WRC as a downstream consumer of water research and partner.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/waterresearchsa
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/water-research-commission

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments1 record

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Frequently asked questions about Water Research Commission