CAPE TOWN’S RESILIENCE STRATEGY

This case study by GreenCape examines resilience-led economic interventions implemented in 2020 to support the green business community in Cape Town and the broader South African economy during the COVID-19 pandemic. The strategy follows a 'survive, adapt and thrive' framework, focusing on supporting small, medium and micro-sized enterprises (SMMEs) through international collaborations, innovative funding, and policy alignment to ensure a green recovery.

• The resilience strategy for Cape Town is structured around five pillars: People (compassionate, holistically healthy city), Place & Space (connected, climate adaptive city), Economy (capable, job creating city), Disaster readiness (collectively, shock-ready city), and Governance (collaborative, forward-looking city).
• Interventions to support green SMMEs during the COVID-19 pandemic were categorized into three phases: 'Survive' (leveraging international partnerships), 'Adapt' (supporting the 'build back better' narrative), and 'Thrive' (positioning local businesses on a global stage).
• Partnerships between the EU Delegation to South Africa and the Green Outcomes Fund (GOF) helped retain 760 jobs and created 41 new jobs through participating green SMMEs. These businesses spanned sectors including waste recycling, alternative clean energy, sustainable agriculture, and water sustainability.
• Green SMMEs are identified as critical for South Africa's long-term economic growth, job creation, and social transformation, and should be prioritized to meet objectives regarding climate change mitigation, adaptation, and circular economy practices.
• The Solar Impulse Foundation's Efficient Solutions Label, which identifies profitable and clean cleantech solutions, has included South African SMMEs as part of its global portfolio of 1,000 solutions.
• The International Cleantech Network (ICN) provides opportunities for South African companies to enter protected markets, such as the 'Charge On' challenge funded by BHP, Rio Tinto, and Vale, which focuses on charging mining truck fleets.

APA

GreenCape (2021). CAPE TOWN’S RESILIENCE STRATEGY. https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/COCT_RESILIENCE_CASE_STUDY_12_10_21-3.pdf

Chicago

GreenCape. CAPE TOWN’S RESILIENCE STRATEGY. 2021. https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/COCT_RESILIENCE_CASE_STUDY_12_10_21-3.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=GreenCape |title=CAPE TOWN’S RESILIENCE STRATEGY |date=2021 |url=https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/COCT_RESILIENCE_CASE_STUDY_12_10_21-3.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{greencape2021cape, author = {{GreenCape}}, title = {{CAPE TOWN’S RESILIENCE STRATEGY}}, institution = {GreenCape}, year = {2021}, url = {https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/COCT_RESILIENCE_CASE_STUDY_12_10_21-3.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }