TCTA began offering advisory services in 2004 when the government amended its mandate to allow it to advise water management institutions and water boards on financial and treasury management services. The capacity to carry out this function grew in 2009 when the organisation established a Knowledge Management Division, which houses the Advisory Services Unit.

Meanwhile, TCTA’S reputation as a knowledge-rich organisation able to offer high-value advisory services to infrastructure projects has grown in the water sector and the broader family of state-owned institutions. Since its inception, the Advisory Services Unit has made an invaluable contribution to the strategic development of the organisation itself. The areas in which it has played a crucial role include:

• Helped in the crafting of a business strategy and long-term vision for TCTA;
• Analysed the existing business model and gave guidance on migration to an alternative one;
• Aided in carving out a vital role for TCTA in the broader response to the acid mine water challenge; and
• Initiated a knowledge hub in respect of large-scale sea water desalination and reuse projects, positioning TCTA for an important part in roll out of the National Desalination Strategy. The organisation expects this initiative to develop substantially in the medium term.

TCTA expects growing demand for its advisory services in view of the strategic nature of the water sector. The other factors the organisation and DWS expect will affect demand include the increasing need for sustainable solutions to the water scarcity problem and the gradual but inevitable shift towards alternative sources.