5. Katse Arch Dam, Lesotho
Photo credit: African Reservations
The Katse Dam is Africa’s second largest. It is a concrete arch dam on the Malibamat’so River in Lesotho. The dam, which was completed in 1996, was built at a total cost of $8 billion by an international consortium of design and engineering firms, including Bouygues, Concor, Group 5, Hochtief, Impregilo, Kier Group, and Sterling International.
The Katse Dam was built mainly for irrigation and domestic purposes. It currently supplies about 30 cubic metres of water to neighboring South Africa, which pays Lesotho $35 million per year. The dam has a height of 185 meters and a length of 710 meters. Its reservoir has a holding capacity of 1.95 cubic kilometres.
