The eThekwini Municipality optimizes urban safety and water management with Microsoft Azure

Durban, or eThekwini in Zulu, is South Africa’s third-most populous city. Historically a popular tourist destination, it has a rich, diverse heritage. Today, Durban and neighboring towns are part of the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality. “Our municipality aims to accommodate the diverse needs of our residents and prospective newcomers, making Durban an inclusive and thriving environment for all,” notes Zama Khuzwayo, Chief Policy Analyst at eThekwini Municipality.

Reducing crime with technology

The eThekwini Municipality does not shy away from leveraging technology when solving urban issues. One such challenge is managing inner-city crime. “Durban experiences drug-related crimes, pickpocketing, and robberies while still being a popular tourist spot. So, we wanted to ensure we could enforce the law and reduce opportunities for crime to make people feel safe,” notes Khuzwayo. “We noticed that people often use their smartphones to report crimes on social media. So, we decided to leverage this trend as a force for good.”

Partnering with Pulego Technologies, the Municipality deployed an application on Microsoft Azure. The Cocity app enables citizens to report crimes directly to law enforcement organizations. “Citizens can submit details anonymously and receive feedback on their reports,” adds Khuzwayo. “This feedback loop enhances confidence in the system and encourages responsible citizenship.”

Today, the Municipality receives a significant number of reports and positive feedback as well from citizens and law enforcement organizations alike. “Surprisingly, the process has enhanced our data collection. We can identify high-crime hotspots—right down to specific streets or buildings, time periods, and trends with more precision,” notes Khuzwayo.

Monitoring water loss

Another challenge that required a streamlined approach involved the water and sanitation unit. The eThekwini Municipality Water Department manages over 12,000 kilometers of water mains and more than 8,000 kilometers of trunk sewer lines, including rural, informal, and formal areas. “Despite having the same infrastructure and number of vehicles and staff, we still need to serve an increasing population and ensure optimal usage,” shares Vishnu Mabeer, Professional Technologist of Data and Statistics at eThekwini Municipality.

The water and sanitation unit struggled to accurately measure and account for water consumed due to leaks, resulting in an estimated 45% financial loss for the Municipality. “When we delay fixing a leak, citizens get frustrated, and we waste water,” shares Mabeer. “Currently, we purchase over a billion liters of water per day, but we can only account for half of it through our meters and other means.”

The issue stemmed from data systems that were both outdated and disconnected, making reporting inefficient. Mabeer explains, “We had data coming from different sources. Individuals would extract it from the system, send us an email, and then we had to compile those numbers in Excel for visualization. This process was time-consuming and prone to errors.”

Together with Microsoft and Praelexis, eThekwini decided to facilitate easier access to various types of data. Azure landing zone was established to prioritize security, manageability, and resource efficiency. A Municipal data lake was developed using Azure Data Lake to consolidate data from various sources, enabling analytics, automation, and dashboard reporting via Power BI. “We collect data on daily leaks triggered by calls received at the control room,” explains Mabeer. “All repairs are recorded in the system, and we can easily visualize and analyze our progress.”

Consolidated data, efficient management

As a result, eThekwini has seamless, faster access to data. "It used to take about 10 to 12 days to gather data and get the report ready. Now, with Azure, it takes us half the time—about five to seven days,” shares Mabeer.

With a single source of truth, eThekwini can improve executive reporting and plan proactively. Mabeer notes, “Instead of importing data from various sources, we rely on a centralized source. This makes it easier to plan actions and understand problems visually. We can see how we're doing in new ways and show our challenges to counselors and executives. Management can better understand our constraints and plan accordingly.”

As a result, the Municipality can also resolve issues faster and more efficiently. “We have had noticeable improvements in response times,” says Mabeer. “Thanks to centralized, reliable data, we’ve also reduced human error.”

Looking ahead, the eThekwini Municipality is exploring ways to add more data sources to Azure and model data to gain new insights. “More people are realizing the value of data, leading to a growing demand for automation. Many are no longer spending hours on spreadsheets or making calls to gather data; instead, they're recognizing the potential for more efficient processes,” shares Mabeer.

The Municipality also aims to increase community engagement in its efforts. “By providing updates on repair crew assignments and progress, residents can actively participate in problem-solving efforts. We’re looking forward to partnering with Microsoft to realize this vision,” shares Mabeer.