The demand for membranes in South Africa is set to increase as effluent discharge policies are enforced more stringently and water supply pressures become more apparent. Although membrane technology currently requires high capital and operating expenditure, with improvements in technologies water membrane treatment costs are anticipated to continue declining, which will drive demand.

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan, South African Membrane Market, finds that the market earned revenues of $37.5 million in 2007 and estimates this to more than triple by 2014 to reach $143.9 million.

"Increasingly industrial end users are using membrane technology to manage their wastewater streams," notes Frost & Sullivan Programme Manager David Winter. "Both the capital and operating costs of membrane plants have decreased significantly in the last two decades."

South Africa's limited sources of surface water and changing weather patterns are driving up water prices, which is influencing industrial water users to treat their wastewater. Further, with water and wastewater regulations becoming more stringent, industrial companies are also looking towards wastewater recycling, which is driving the demand for membrane technology.

"Although there has been a decline in the prices of membrane systems, the end users still complain that the systems are too expensive," Winter notes. "Besides high capital costs, membrane plants are expensive to maintain. On average, membrane systems have to be replaced every three to five years and also need to be cleaned on a regular basis to remove foulants."

End users are more likely to adopt membrane technologies when they can see an absolute cost saving in their business operations. Cost saving and value add are important selling points that membrane suppliers need to emphasise to potential customers.