The Tap Water Is Mostly Safe To Drink
If you imagine South Africa as a rural and underdeveloped country, you might be surprised to learn that the tap water is safe to drink in most locations. Over the duration of your journey, this might save you a lot of money on plastic bottles.
Tap water is still considered safe to drink, especially in major cities like Pretoria and Cape Town. However, water treatment facility upkeep is costly, and it is not always carried out successfully - especially in smaller municipal areas. While water treatment plants use several 'cleaning' techniques, the majority of them are concerned with the water's microbiological condition.
In other parts of the country, the tap water is still unsafe to drink. These are usually found in more isolated areas. Even so, your lodging might have a filtration system in place to ensure that the tap water is safe.