About Tutorial Glossary Documents Images Maps Google Earth Please provide feedback! Click for details You are here: Home>Resource Management >Water Infrastructure >Irrigation>South Africa Irrigation Infrastructure: South Africa The current area under irrigation in thebasin in South Africa at 198 000 ha, uses approximately 10 000 m³ of water per hectare per year ( FAO 2004). The irrigation potential, estimated at 131 500 ha using 12 000 m³ of water required per hectare per year, indicates trends of more water being used per hectare than existing requirements. Irrigation development along theLimpopo within South Africa is estimated at 4 000 ha. Within the four water management areas (WMA) in the Limpopo basin in South Africa, irrigation accounts for the following water requirements within each WMA ( FAO 2004): Crocodile (West) and Marico – 35 % Limpopo – 75 % Elephants – 57 % Luvuvhu and Letaba – 75 % In theLimpopo WMAirrigation occurs throughout and development is evenly distributed. Some of the irrigation is dependent upon small dams or run- of- river which has a low assurance of supply ( FAO 2004). Therefore, the irrigated area tends to vary in the Limpopo WMA year by year. In the Levuvuhu & Letaba WMA irrigation is concentrated primarily in the area around the Groot Letaba River The dams in South Africa used primarily for irrigation are (FAO 2004): Hartebeespoort (186 Mm³) on the Crocodile River Marico (27 Mm³) on the Marico River Mokolo (145 Mm³) on the Mokolo River Blyderivierpoort (55,2 Mm³) on the Mogalakwena River GlenAlpine (20,0 Mm³) and others on the Mogalakwena River Nzhelele (55,3 Mm³) on the Nzhelele River. These dams are further discussed in Dams and Infrastructure and the interactive component to the right. Seko Canal, Olifants sub- basin, South Africa. Source: LIMCOM 2009 ( click to enlarge ) Next: Irrigation Infrastructure: Zimbabwe .