Using a sector development agency to mobilize a local green economy

This case study examines GreenCape, a nonprofit sector development agency established in 2010 by the Western Cape Government in South Africa. The document details how GreenCape acts as an independent bridge between the public and private sectors to mobilize a local green economy, starting with a focus on renewable energy before expanding into water, waste, agriculture, and green finance. It highlights the agency's governance structure, its role in removing regulatory barriers, and its impact on investment and job creation in the region.

• GreenCape is defined as a sector development agency, which is an "independent organization that bridges the public and private sectors with the goal of enabling growth in a given industry and region."
• The agency's success is attributed to several core factors: strong financial and nonfinancial support from the provincial government, alignment with green economy policies while remaining separate from government, and strong links to industry across all green economy sectors.
• GreenCape began with a narrow focus on renewable energy to build its reputation and then expanded its remit over five years. By 2013, it added sector desks for energy efficiency, the built environment, and water, followed by agriculture and green finance in 2014.
• Between 2010 and 2015, GreenCape facilitated significant economic outcomes in the Western Cape, including ZAR 17 billion (US$1.2 billion) in investment for renewable energy projects and over 2,000 associated jobs, as well as ZAR 500 million (US$33.7 million) in investment for new renewable energy manufacturing creating more than 700 jobs.
• The Western Cape Industrial Symbiosis Programme (WISP), a free facilitation service for businesses to exchange underutilized resources, reported returning ZAR 4 in business benefits for every ZAR 1 invested.
• GreenCape provides several business support services, including free and impartial market intelligence, an advocacy platform to remove barriers, access to networks, skills development, and project management for the Atlantis Special Economic Zone (SEZ).
• The agency's funding has diversified from a single source to five by 2016. The funding split consists of the Western Cape Government (38.5%), the national Department of Trade and Industry (38.5%), the City of Cape Town (7%), international grant funding (14%), and local grant funding (2%).

APA

Mulcahy, M., Basson, L., Baboolal, A., & Bronkhorst, S. (2016). Using a sector development agency to mobilize a local green economy. Climate and Development Knowledge Network. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/GreenCape-case-study.pdf

Chicago

Mulcahy, Mike, Lauren Basson, Aman Baboolal, and Salomé Bronkhorst. Using a sector development agency to mobilize a local green economy. Climate and Development Knowledge Network, 2016. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/GreenCape-case-study.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Mulcahy |first1=Mike |last2=Basson |first2=Lauren |last3=Baboolal |first3=Aman |last4=Bronkhorst |first4=Salomé |title=Using a sector development agency to mobilize a local green economy |publisher=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |date=June 2016 |url=https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/GreenCape-case-study.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{mulcahy2016using, author = {Mulcahy, Mike and Basson, Lauren and Baboolal, Aman and Bronkhorst, Salomé}, title = {{Using a sector development agency to mobilize a local green economy}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2016}, month = jun, url = {https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/GreenCape-case-study.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }