This paper presents results of a study on water demand management status and overcoming constraints to implementation of water demand management in the southern African region, as part of Phase II of water demand management (WDM) programme implemented by the IUCN (The World Conservation Union). The study was conducted in Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The study methodology consisted of a survey of literature, and interviewing and communicating with stakeholders in order to learn from stakeholders on the critical constraints to WDM implementation and strategies to overcome them. The study has shown that, despite the potential savings that would accrue from implementation of WDM, the water sector across the southern African region continues to focus on water supply augmentation. There are inadequate financial and human resources for rehabilitation, operation and maintenance of water conveyance systems resulting in system leaks, which contribute to high levels of unaccounted-for water, a situation that masks the potential benefits of WDM. In most countries, the water sector operates on ad-hoc sub-sector water user objectives, which provided guidelines only for development and management purposes. Most of the institutional frameworks have remained diffuse, resulting into poor performance in the sector, and into crisis management in the water resources development. Though the WDM policy in most countries is already accessible through guidelines for catchment management institutions and water supply institutions; there is a lack of broad commitment to implementing them. In other countries the instruments are relatively new and have not been applied widely. Similarly, the effectiveness of instruments has not been well evaluated in most countries. In countries where policy is weak there is often a lack of clarity as to who is responsible for WDM implementation, and even less clarity on who is responsible for facilitating and monitoring implementation, and taking appropriate action when a serious case of non-performance occurs. Thus, one of the main strategies to overcome constraints to implementing WDM in the region is through high-level advocacy to increase awareness among the stakeholders at different levels on the needs and benefits of WDM. There is also need for capacity building that target the private and public sector planners responsible for development of proposals, as well as at scheme managers and operators who have to implement WDM. The results of study have indicated that it is not sufficient to know how to implement WDM. One needs to know what requires implementation, when to implement it, how to select and motivate the most appropriate parties to implement it and how to audit the results. Keywords: Water demand management, Overcoming constraints, Water sector, Advocacy workshops, Capacity building, Policy and legal instruments.