Vaal River

The Vaal River is a major watercourse in South Africa and one of the country's most important rivers for water supply and economic activity. It rises in the Drakensberg escarpment in Mpumalanga and flows westward for approximately 1 120 km through Gauteng, the Free State and the Northern Cape before joining the Orange River near Douglas. The river forms part of the border between Gauteng and the Free State, and between the Free State and the Northern Cape. The Vaal is the largest tributary of the Orange River, southern Africa's longest river system. The river and its catchment area supply water to South Africa's industrial and economic heartland, including the Gauteng metropolitan areas of Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni and the Vaal Triangle industrial complex. Major dams along the Vaal include the Vaal Dam, Bloemhof Dam and Vaal River Barrage Reservoir, which together provide water to millions of people and support agriculture, mining and industry. Rand Water, one of the world's largest bulk water utilities, draws heavily from the Vaal system to supply Gauteng. The river faces significant environmental pressures, including pollution from mining, industrial discharge, sewage and invasive alien plants that affect water quality and flow. The Department of Water and Sanitation oversees management of the Vaal system, which remains critical to South Africa's water security and economic stability.