What is the typical SCADA architecture for municipal water in South Africa?

Common patterns include local PLC/RTU control with telemetry (licensed/unlicensed radio, cellular, or fibre) into a central control centre using redundant servers, a historian/EMS, and role-based HMI access for operators and engineering. Edge-to-Service approaches add secure remote access and selective cloud services for analytics and reporting.

Do I need cloud for SCADA?

Not necessarily. Many deployments are fully on-prem for control and safety, while cloud is used for non-critical services like reporting, dashboards, and AI-assisted analytics. A hybrid model is typical: local control remains independent; cloud augments, not replaces, operations.

Which protocols are commonly used?

You will routinely encounter Modbus, S7comm, BACnet/IP or SC, SNMP, MQTT, and IEC 61850 in power and substation contexts, plus vendor protocols via gateways.

How should I approach OT cybersecurity?

Start with network segmentation and least-privilege access, MFA for remote access, allowable-list communications between zones, secure-by-design PLC/HMI configuration, and continuous monitoring. Align with corporate ISMS policies and relevant industry standards where applicable.

How do I pick a system integrator?

Look for proven references in your vertical, formal QA processes, 24/7 support, certified training, and transparent documentation handover. Prefer integrators who can demonstrate OT security practices and measurement & verification for energy/water savings.

What does a pilot look like?

A focused 6–12 week scope: 3–10 assets, telemetry to a small Panorama Suite or equivalent instance, basic dashboards/alarms, historian, and a documented security baseline. Use it to validate value, integration effort, and training needs before scaling.

Nicolas Hamel

SCADA in South Africa: 2025 Guide

This SCADA South Africa guide covers architectures, Edge-to-Service, redundancy, EMS/historian, OT cybersecurity, partners, and a buyer’s checklist for projects in energy, water, transport, buildings and data centres.

TL;DR Buyer’s Checklist

Architecture

Define control boundaries: what must keep running without WAN?
Redundancy where it matters: servers, comms, power.
Historian/EMS sizing: tag counts, retention, reporting cadence.
Protocols/gateways: Modbus, S7comm, BACnet/IP or SC, SNMP, MQTT, IEC 61850, others.

Security

Zone/Conduit design, allow‑list communications, MFA for remote access.
Harden PLC/HMI/servers; patching strategy without disrupting ops.
Monitoring & logging: historian + SIEM/SOC hooks.

People & Process

Operator training & SOPs; change management and backups.
Measurement & Verification for energy/water savings (if EMS scope).
Support SLAs: hours, response, spares, escalation.

Video: SCADA in South Africa — Buyer’s Guide (2025)

Prefer reading? See the TL;DR and FAQs below.

Key takeaways (summary)

Keep control local; use Edge‑to‑Service for reporting/analytics.
Design redundancy where it matters (servers, comms, power).
Right‑size historian/EMS and densify metering for decisions and M&V.
Segment OT/IT, enforce MFA for remote access, and allow‑list communications.

Market Landscape & Common Use‑Cases

South African SCADA deployments span municipal water & sanitation, energy (generation, distribution, metering/EMS), transport (rail, BMS at stations), and buildings & data centres (HVAC/BMS, power, alarms). Typical goals: operational visibility, alarm management, compliance reporting, energy/water efficiency, and resilient operations during network outages.

Reference Architectures

Central Control with Local Autonomy

Local PLC/RTU/HMI keep assets running; a central SCADA provides a unified view, alarms, historian/EMS, and engineering tools. Use redundant servers and communications for critical processes.

Edge‑to‑Service

Securely bridge local sites to value‑added services (dashboards, reporting, analytics, mobile) without putting control in the cloud. Selectively publish data upstream; keep control local.

Protocols & Interoperability

Plan for Modbus, S7comm, BACnet/IP or SC, SNMP, MQTT, and IEC 61850. Use tested gateways where needed and document addressing, scaling, and time‑sync.

Historian & EMS

Right‑size tag counts, archiving windows, and report schedules. For EMS, densify metering where decisions are made and retain enough history for M&V.

OT Cybersecurity Basics

Segment networks; define trust boundaries between IT and OT.
Harden assets (PLC/HMI/servers), enforce MFA for remote access, and use allow‑listed communications between zones.
Collect logs and telemetry; monitor for anomalies; back up configurations and test restores.
Adopt a clear change‑management process with approvals and rollback plans.

Integrators & Delivery

Choose partners with relevant references, formal QA, certified training, and 24/7 support. Ensure transparent documentation handover and that cybersecurity practices are embedded from design through maintenance. For energy/water, include measurement & verification (M&V) in scope to quantify savings.

FAQs

See also the quick answers embedded in Google results when this page is shared.

What does SCADA cost?

Total cost depends on scale (assets, tags), redundancy, telemetry, and integration. Plan for licenses, integration, hardware, comms, and support. A pilot clarifies sizing before a full rollout.

On‑prem vs cloud?

Control remains on‑prem; cloud augments with reporting/analytics. Hybrid is common: local HMI/servers for operations, selective upstream publication for dashboards, mobile, and AI analytics.

How long is a pilot?

Typically 6–12 weeks for 3–10 assets, with alarms, dashboards, historian, baseline security, and a scale‑up plan.

Need help?

I help organisations in South Africa and across Africa deploy Panorama Suite for SCADA and EMS—covering edge, redundancy, web/mobile, and OT cybersecurity. Contact me on LinkedIn or see Panorama Suite.