For generations, the scarcity of water has dictated the rhythm of daily life across Eswatini's Manzini Region.
In Nhlambeni, Manzini South, Mthongwaneni, Mafutseni, and Manzini North, thousands of families have built their daily routines around the absence of reliable water. Daily life has meant: long treks to rivers and seasonal springs, harvesting rainwater, waiting for water tankers, rationing the water received, and quietly negotiating for late-night borehole access.
In some areas, families have had to share water sources with livestock - a daily compromise between necessity and health.
That long routine of hardship is now drawing to a close.
In March 2024, the Government of the Kingdom of Eswatini launched the construction of the Manzini Region Water Supply and Sanitation Project backed by financing from the African Development Bank Group.
"We are looking forward to water flowing through our taps 24 hours a day. It has been a long and emotional wait for our community," said Jabulile Dlamini, an Inner Council Member from Khamatho Chiefdom under Mafutseni Inkhundla.
The project includes a modern water treatment plant with a capacity of 25 million litres per day, supported by transmission mains and reservoirs capable of storing 21 million litres. Crews are also laying more than 350 kilometres of distribution networks, along with up to 14 water kiosks and 20 public sanitation facilities, to bring clean water closer to communities. The initiative supports Eswatini's broader goal of achieving universal access to water and sanitation by 2030.
Access to at least basic drinking water services in Eswatini is 80.4 per cent, while access to safely managed drinking water services is 38.2 per cent. Access to at least basic sanitation services is 64.5 per cent, compared with 60.8 per cent for safely managed sanitation services. These stark figures highlight why the Manzini expansion is critical to bridging the gap.
Relief already taking shape
With construction now 92% complete, the transformation is already visible. Water supply hours have been extended, and pressure has surged across several neighbourhoods due to interconnections bridging the old and new supply networks. When the project launches later this year, it will provide clean, reliable water services to approximately 35,000 people, transforming daily life for families across the project footprint.
During an African Development Bank Group supervision mission in May 2026, the anticipation surrounding the project was palpable. In Mafutseni, residents spoke candidly about the hardships they continue to endure. Many described the high cost of purchasing water from tankers that sometimes arrive only once a week.
Others recounted the gruelling hours spent collecting water from distant sources and the burden placed on elderly family members who still walk to rivers to fetch water. In some areas, the same water sources are shared with livestock and used for washing clothes, raising concerns about health and hygiene.
"We are looking forward to having fresh and healthy water," said Simon Mtsetfwa, another Inner Council Member of Mafutseni Inkhundla , conveying the weight of decades of waiting.
Yet amid these challenges, there is growing optimism.
Community members are confident that the project will improve health and quality of life, reduce household water expenditure, create opportunities for small-scale gardening, and ease the burden of accessing water. They welcomed the installation of prepaid meters, recognising their potential to empower households to manage their water consumption efficiently. They further lauded the construction of water kiosks and sanitation facilities whose locations had been selected in consultation with the community. The Eswatini Water Services Corporation will continue to partner with communities to ensure these facilities are secure and operational.
For communities that have waited so long, the completion of the project represents far more than new infrastructure. It promises relief from daily hardship, improved health and dignity, and the opportunity to build a more secure future.
As Mrs Dlamini's words suggest, this has never simply been an infrastructure project -- it has been an emotional wait.
For many families across the Manzini Region, the long journey to water is finally nearing its end.
