Experts warn of cyberattack risks to South African ports amid modernization

According to expert estimates, over 3,200 registered data breaches in South Africa have cost the country's economy approximately 142 billion rand. Specialists warn that many such incidents can be prevented through simple employee training.

The Scale of Cyber Threat Damage

The growing crisis of data leaks in South Africa costs the economy around 141.96 billion rand annually. Cybersecurity experts note that these losses represent a series of preventable errors that undermine economic growth.

According to data from Cube ICT Solutions, 3,219 data breach cases were recorded in the country during the 2025/26 financial year. These incidents can account for up to 1.81% of South Africa's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), based on the latest GDP estimate from Statistics South Africa of 7.86 trillion rand.

Financial Consequences of Incidents

This estimate is based on the IBM Cost of a Data Breach Report 2025, which set the average cost of a single data breach in South Africa at 44.1 million rand. Adrian Venter, CEO of Cube ICT Solutions, emphasized that the real economic impact goes far beyond direct costs of restoring compromised systems.

Venter stated that the notion that paying a cybersecurity firm to fix a leak generates revenue for that firm is flawed logic. He clarified that funds spent fixing violations are expenses, not wealth-creating activities. As a result, the economy is potentially smaller than it could be if limited resources used to fix leaks were directed toward acquiring capital equipment that fosters wealth.

Long-Term Risks for Businesses

In addition to immediate costs for investigating cyber incidents, repairing systems, and compensating affected customers, organizations often face long-term reputational damage, decreased customer trust, and loss of business opportunities. Venter argued that these secondary effects continue to negatively impact productivity and economic growth even after a leak has been contained.

He noted that South Africa's overall economic efficiency and potential are limited by 268 monthly occurrences, stemming from someone leaving a database unsecured, sending an email by mistake, or losing a work device.

Prevention Through Staff Training

Despite cybercriminals continuing to develop increasingly sophisticated attacks, Cube ICT Solutions believes that many leaks remain preventable because they are caused by simple human errors rather than technical failures. This places employee awareness at the center of any effective cybersecurity strategy.

Venter stressed that with basic information security training, South Africa can significantly reduce risks in a relatively short period. Millions of corporate employees can transform into an effective national human firewall capable of recognizing and reporting cyber threats, as well as behaving in ways that reduce the likelihood of data-related incidents.

He added that companies often overemphasize investments in technology while ignoring the importance of training employees who work daily with sensitive information. Venter concluded that training staff in cybersecurity basics is a critical first step in preventing data leaks, and if this step is executed correctly, the South African economy will benefit.

Advice for Consumers and the Future

These warnings come against a backdrop where organizations in both the public and private sectors continue to face a growing number of cyber incidents related to data theft, phishing attacks, compromised systems, and accidental disclosure of sensitive information. Although the primary responsibility for protecting customer data lies with the business, consumers are also advised to take practical steps to reduce their own risk when leaks occur.

Cube ICT Solutions advised consumers to activate real-time bank transaction notifications, regularly update passwords, and strengthen account security when organizations legitimately recommend it following a security incident. The company believes that reducing human error through improved awareness and training can bring significant economic benefits, helping businesses avoid costly leaks and strengthening South Africa's digital resilience and long-term growth prospects.

Experts warn that the continued failure to invest in preventative maintenance creates financial pressure on Johannesburg Water and increases the likelihood of service disruptions for residents.

Water Supply Issues in the City

Water outages have become a frequent reality for Johannesburg residents. Sometimes Johannesburg Water and Rand Water announce planned maintenance days in advance. However, outages often occur suddenly due to pipe bursts, pump failures, or reservoir problems, depriving suburbs of water for hours or even days. This problem is unlikely to disappear anytime soon.

In the latest audit by Johannesburg Water, the Auditor-General reached a similar alarming conclusion, finding that the utility company had not been conducting proactive maintenance of its water infrastructure. Instead of scheduled preventive repairs, the organization has increasingly relied on emergency fixes after pipes had already burst or infrastructure had failed.

Reasons for Network Deterioration

According to the Consolidated Local Government Audit Report for 2024-25, the deterioration of the network was caused by insufficient maintenance planning, poor execution, and weak oversight, leading to more frequent pipe bursts, reduced reliability, and increased repair costs. The Auditor-General warned that the constant refusal to invest in preventative maintenance puts pressure on Johannesburg Water's finances and raises the risk of service disruptions for citizens.

The report also noted delays in implementing infrastructure projects, weak project management, and unreliable performance reporting, which contributed to high water losses and undermined control.

Current Risks and Plans

The Auditor-General stated that in December 2024, the issue of significant irregularity regarding Johannesburg Water was raised, and infrastructure restoration is currently underway. Nevertheless, he warned that without effective corrective measures, the utility company will remain susceptible to constant infrastructure failures, rising repair costs, and increasing operational and financial risks.

Johannesburg Water's own documents present a serious situation: the utility faces a backlog in infrastructure upgrades amounting to 26.61 billion rand, while one of its five assets has a lifespan of less than 10 years. Major threats include aging infrastructure, funding constraints, and demand exceeding available water reserves.

The latest semi-annual performance report also acknowledges significant service delivery challenges, including unplanned outages that have sparked public protests in areas such as Coronationville, Westbury, and Claremont. Less than half of the burst pipes were repaired within the target timeframe of 48 hours during the reporting period.

Emergency Water Supply Tips

While residents cannot fix the aging infrastructure themselves, they can make an outage less disruptive. A mistake many people make is waiting for an announcement from Johannesburg Water before rushing to stores. Although the utility claims that Johannesburg is not in a 'Day Zero' situation and a water reserve has been established, it is always wise to have a water supply on hand.

It is recommended to purchase several five-liter bottles, use the water as usual, and then replenish and rotate them every few months. The initial cost is related to buying the bottles themselves, but afterward, they become a reusable emergency storage. If an outage is expected, fill the bathtub before the water supply stops. This water is ideal for flushing toilets but should not be consumed unless properly treated.

Buckets, dishwashing sinks, kitchen pots, and even empty ice cream containers can also serve as useful emergency storage.

Water Usage Priorities

The top priority is ensuring drinking water. Next are needs for cooking, medication, and basic hygiene. Instead of pouring precious stored water down the drain, pour several liters into a basin for washing hands. A basin of clean water will last the household longer than repeatedly running the tap or pouring directly from a bottle.

If you have sufficient supplies, wash dishes using one container for washing and another for rinsing. Laundry, however, can usually wait until the water supply is restored. Preserving potable water is far more important than washing clothes. The toilet is not the biggest problem, as most people use much more water for flushing than they realize. Bath water, collected rainwater, or other greywater can be used for flushing. Potable water should be reserved for people, not plumbing.

Alternative Storage Methods

If a planned outage is expected, freeze some bottles. They will help keep the freezer cold longer if there is a power failure, serve as cold packs in a cooler bag when moving groceries, and become drinking water as they thaw. The advice about installing a JoJo tank is useful for homeowners with space and funds, but unrealistic for many Johannesburg residents. Apartment dwellers, renters, and many township homes often lack the ability to install a large storage tank. Instead, consider storage suitable for your home. A collection of reusable five-liter bottles can fit under a bed or at the bottom of a cupboard. Twenty-liter containers fit in closets, behind doors, or in garages if accessible. Small volumes of water distributed across several containers are often easier to manage than one large barrel.

Safe Water Use

Do not drain the water heater. This is one of the most common pieces of advice on social media and one of the riskiest. Although a domestic water heater can hold over 100 liters of water, plumbing experts advise only accessing it in a real emergency. If municipal water supply ceases, first turn off the water heater's electricity at the distribution panel. Operating an empty water heater risks burning out the heating element, and the stored water may contain sediment and is not considered safe for drinking.

After municipal water supply is restored, allow the water heater to fill completely and wait until hot taps start working normally, allowing air to escape, before restoring power.

Using Garden Resources

Homeowners can also extend the life of stored water by reusing greywater. Water left over from bathing or washing clothes can be used for ornamental plants or lawns, reducing the need for fresh drinking water outdoors. However, vegetable gardens require more attention, as untreated greywater is generally unsuitable for edible crops.

What to Do During a Sudden Outage

In the event of a sudden water cutoff, check whether the outage affects only your property or a wider area. Close any open taps to prevent flooding when the supply is restored. Fill any remaining containers if water is still dripping. Immediately switch to using stored drinking water. Also, check social media and the Johannesburg Water website for updates.

Water supply issues in Johannesburg are unlikely to disappear overnight. However, several inexpensive precautions and knowing which mistakes to avoid can turn an unexpected outage from a crisis into just an inconvenience.

The Minister of Agriculture, Economic Development and Tourism of the Western Cape, Dr Ivan Meyer, stated that there should be no further diversion of export cargo from the Western Cape, despite the World Bank's Container Port Performance Index (CPPI) indicating a decline in Cape Town Port's performance.

Logistics and Export Challenges

Meyer emphasized the new and urgent need to focus on improving the efficiency of the Port of Cape Town. He noted that recent data showed significant volumes of agricultural produce had to be diverted due to operational difficulties at the Port of Cape Town during the previous export peak period. It is estimated that about 55,000 tonnes of table grapes were diverted, and sectors such as apples, pears, peaches, plums, apricots, nectarines, and cherries were also affected.

In Meyer's view, cargo diversion creates serious financial pressure on producers and exporters due to rising transportation and logistics costs. He stated that the inefficient Port of Cape Town imposes an unbearable financial burden on local producers. Any delay or diversion reduces farm profitability, threatens export competitiveness, and jeopardizes jobs across the entire agricultural value chain.

Measures to Improve Port Operations

The Minister insists that the costly diversion of produce to other provinces must not happen again, stressing the need to improve the reliability, coordination, and overall efficiency of the Port of Cape Town. The Department of Agriculture is negotiating with Transnet and other stakeholders to address the operational shortcomings that led to delays and cargo accumulation. These discussions aim to enhance equipment reliability and infrastructure productivity, strengthen personnel and operational management, improve communication among process participants, and develop contingency plans to prevent future disruptions.

Organized agricultural bodies, including Hortgro, the South African table grape industry, and the Fresh Produce Exporters Forum, expressed concern over the financial implications of the diversion and called for urgent corrective action. Meyer stressed that all available resources must be directed towards restoring optimal operation of the Port of Cape Town, as this depends on the competitiveness of agricultural exports and the sustainability of farming communities.

Development Strategy and Farmer Support

He added that the 'Growth for Jobs' strategy requires an efficient and high-performing Port of Cape Town. Without a reliable port, he said, it is impossible to boost export growth and job creation, which the province urgently needs. It is also necessary to accelerate the involvement of the private sector in the management and operation of the Port of Cape Town to achieve gains in efficiency, investment, and world-class productivity. The Department continues to support farmers, especially emerging producers, through programs such as the Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme (CASP), providing funding for production resources, and offering advisory services to enhance resilience to disruptions. Meyer concluded that while farmer support will continue, the long-term solution lies in fixing the entire logistics ecosystem, as the effective operation of the port is a prerequisite for growth, job creation, and export expansion in the Western Cape.