About AQUAffection
For the Love of Water.
Our name says it plainly. "AQUA" - water. "Affection" - care. We exist to boldly help shape the stewardship of water, for today, tomorrow, and a thousand generations.
Our Story
Born from a deep concern for South Africa's water crisis.
AQUAffection was founded in 2015, when it was already clear where the country was heading. South Africa ranks among the 40 driest nations on earth. Nearly half the water in our municipal systems is lost before it ever reaches our taps. And in 2025, exactly as predicted, national demand overtook supply.
Gerrie Brink, a mining engineer who had spent a career solving problems at scale, started the company on a straightforward premise: most organisations have no idea how much water they use, and you cannot manage what you cannot see. Give people visibility, the tools to act on it, and the understanding of why it matters, and the savings follow.
Ten years on, that premise has held. More than 350 projects. Over 6.5 billion litres saved... and counting. A patented toilet outlet valve. And a growing group of companies built around the same idea.
Our Journey
Ten years of building something that works.
Our Why
We're chasing a tipping point.
Every meter we install and every valve we replace saves water. But the savings that last don't come from hardware, it comes from people. Ground staff who notice a leak on a Friday afternoon. Learners who close a tap without being asked. Tenants who care what the number on the bill actually means.
That's why our aim is a 20–25% reduction in demand for every client, and why water awareness training sits at the centre of what we do rather than at the edge. Research into how behaviour spreads suggests that once roughly a quarter of a group genuinely adopts a new norm, the rest follow quickly. We believe water works the same way, and getting South Africa to that tipping point is why we get out of bed in the morning.
Water is not just a resource. It is life. We treat it as an asset worthy of deep respect and thoughtful management, and we help our clients do the same.
Our Values
What we hold ourselves to.
Accountability
We measure what we promise, and we report it monthly, whether the news is good or not.
Excellence
Quality products, properly installed. Nothing we put on a site is something we wouldn't want on our own.
Collaboration
The best solutions come from working with clients and suppliers, not selling at them.
Integrity
We'll tell you when you don't need what we sell. Demand reduction usually comes before capital spend.
Courage
Water is uncomfortable to talk about honestly. We do it anyway.
Our Promise
Empower & Equip · Deliver Quality · Drive Change Together
Through high-quality services, products and applications, we drive sustainable impact, working together to achieve surplus water by collectively reducing demand by 20-25%.
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Quality products and installations.
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The sustainable and responsible use of natural resources, especially water.
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Collaboration and engagement with customers and suppliers to find the best solution.
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Knowledge sharing. Creating value. And efficiency, efficiency, efficiency.
Our Team
The team behind the numbers.
Our combined team brings over 160 years of experience in the water industry, and more than 2,000 ground staff have been through our training programmes.
Gerrie Brink
Founder & CEO
BEng (UP), MMCC (DMR), MBA (USB)
A mining engineer with a track record of leadership and problem-solving at scale. After a career at some of South Africa's largest mining companies, Gerrie founded AQUAffection in 2015 to take on the country's water crisis directly.
Dwayne Dippenaar
COO
CA (SA), CFA
Dwayne is a qualified chartered accountant and chartered financial analyst. With over 15 years of experience in the corporate finance and asset management industry he joined AQUAffection in 2025 to be part of a team that puts Impact at the core of its purpose.
Our Partners
Four companies, one mission.
What began as one company has become a group, each part focused on a different piece of the same problem.
