Where has all the water gone? Reflections on a visit to the Groot Karoo drylands
Daily Maverick | 03.02.2026 03:58
Upon arriving at my guesthouse in drought-prone Prince Albert I could not help but notice the sprinklers spraying water on a green lawn surrounded by dry and dusty veld. The guesthouse owner told me she was fighting a losing battle, with temperatures in the late thirties. Lawns are probably not a good idea in an arid zone, even if they satisfy the suburban aesthetics of wealthy tourists. I learnt that 120 guesthouses in the town draw on the town’s water supply to wash the towels and linen of the thousands of visitors who pass through the town.
