Loza, JChueu, KCindi, DDGola, NPMubangizi, BCNtshotsho, Phumza2025-01-092025-01-092024-032808-487Xhttp://hdl.handle.net/10204/13888With its significant rural population, South Africa faces pressing water challenges, including shortages, ecological degradation, and pollution. These challenges are particularly problematic in rural areas due to infrastructure deficits, weak municipal finances, and low-density settlement patterns. In this context, springs are a crucial water resource for communities. This paper reports on a study to identify existing governance structures and processes for groundwater management. The study also investigated the vulnerabilities of communities dependent on groundwater for their water supply. It explored rural communities’ adaptation strategies to ensure equitable, inclusive, and sustainable groundwater availability and management outcomes. The study focused on the Okhahlamba Local Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal and the Matatiele Local Municipality in the Eastern Cape. A pragmatic paradigm, which incorporates both qualitative and quantitative approaches to yield robust insights, was employed in the research. The study highlighted the role of land practices, invasive alien plant species, and waste disposal practices in determining water quality. The study found that the municipalities in the study area lack adequate spring protection strategies. Traditional leaders were found to play a crucial role in rural landscape governance. Springs hold socio-cultural significance beyond water provision, emphasising the need for holistic approaches to spring protection. Innovative strategies are needed to address the evolving challenges to groundwater supply while ensuring cultural sensitivity, improved governance, and sustainable groundwater management practices. A multifaceted approach is recommended to enhance groundwater management and spring protection in rural areas, such as integrating spring protection plans into municipal Integrated Development Plans (IDPs). It is vital that continuous coordination and collaboration with all stakeholders, including traditional leaders and NGOs, be established to accommodate the cultural dimensions of community use of local springs.FulltextenRural communities' environmental challengesRural communities' water shortagesGroundwater availabilityRural communities' climate changeArticleN/A