This article focuses on the progress made with rendering essential basic services to especially previous disadvantaged communities in South Africa, with special reference to metropolitan municipalities. A brief outline is provided of the meaning of the concepts sustainability and metropolitan area/municipalities. Metropolitan municipalities being a combination of some of the previous existing municipalities comprise nearly one third of the population of South Africa and have a unique role to play as the municipalities integrated into metropolitan municipalities differ substantially from each other especially their backgrounds and in many cases also lack infrastructure and finances. The sustainability of services, in particular water, sanitation and electricity will be investigated and recommendations made to ensure that these services are extended to all households.