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The document examines the potential for recovering construction materials from builders' rubble at Cape Town's drop-off sites to mitigate a regional landfill airspace crisis. It highlights a June 2019 survey showing that contractors at some sites recover an average of 920 bricks weekly, suggesting a business case for low-skilled job creation and support for low-income housing. However, the viability of this model is challenged by labour costs, the need for consistent volumes of quality material, and theft.

The document details how the Philippi Economic Development Initiative (PEDI), in partnership with UCook's Food Fund and Ladles of Love, addressed food insecurity in Cape Town during the Covid-19 pandemic. Key outcomes included the distribution of over 3,667 food parcels, the purchase of 7.3 tonnes of produce from small-scale farmers, and the provision of R190,000 in income to 29 farms. The study highlights the effectiveness of community-led distribution models and the role of urban farming in mitigating acute shocks. Additionally, it describes the Western Cape Economic Development Partnership's (EDP) role in coordinating food relief through a government-NGO forum and the Community Kitchens programme, which provided digital vouchers to 100 informal kitchens across Cape Town.

A buyback centre in Vrygrond, Cape Town, diverts approximately 1,500 tonnes of waste from landfills annually, providing an annual community income between R950,000 and R1.9 million. The centre employs 20 people and supports 300 waste reclaimers, though it faces challenges regarding land access and infrastructure. The document recommends formalising engagement between the municipality and buyback centres to improve waste management in informal areas.

The document highlights Mushroom Guru (Pty) Ltd as a practical example of urban agriculture in Cape Town, using indoor vertical farming and aeroponics to cultivate medicinal and gourmet mushrooms. It argues that green technology enables intensive, resource-efficient production that reduces water use and utilizes agricultural waste, contributing to a circular economy. The study also emphasizes the role of training and cooperative platforms, like Fungkifriend, in securing market access for small-scale growers and creating economic opportunities within the urban food value chain.

The document argues that solar PV is a financially viable option for South African businesses, capable of reducing electricity costs by approximately 15% with payback periods between 3 and 12 years. It highlights that larger systems benefit from economies of scale, with capital costs for systems over 500 kWp falling below R10k per kWp. The brief also details various financial incentives, including tax benefits (12i and 12b) and VAT deductibility, and notes that the Western Cape is a leader in implementing regulations and feed-in tariffs for Small Scale Embedded Generation (SSEG).

The document argues that on-site wastewater treatment is a key intervention to mitigate South Africa's projected 30% water supply deficit by 2030. It details the processes for treating organic wastewater (greywater and blackwater) to non-potable standards for uses such as toilet flushing and irrigation. The brief outlines three technology variants—tank assemblies, pre-fabricated systems, and brick-and-mortar constructions—while highlighting operational risks like bacterial die-off due to variable loading. It also maps the regulatory landscape, including the National Water Act (1998) and SANS 30500:2019, and provides case studies from the Western Cape demonstrating cost savings and regulatory compliance.

The report outlines opportunities for industrial symbiosis in two Cape Town industrial zones. In Montague Gardens, it highlights the reuse of boiler ash in brick making, the need for treated wood waste solutions, and the potential to shift freight from road to rail. In Atlantis, it identifies opportunities for reusing foundry sand and ash, recovering precious metals from e-waste, and investing in waste-to-energy infrastructure such as pyrolysis and gasification plants. The document argues that establishing a central management body and fostering collaboration on shared services and material exchanges are essential for building business resilience and creating low-carbon zones.

The document details how WISP connected Advanced Technical Sock Industries (ATSI) in the Western Cape with The Care Bear Project in Pietermaritzburg, allowing the latter to use ATSI's yarn fluff waste as stuffing for teddy bears. With free transport provided by The Courier Guy, the initiative diverted 0.18 tonnes of waste annually from landfills and saved The Care Bear Project R10,800 per year, enabling the employment of two additional staff members.

The document details how the Western Cape Industrial Symbiosis Programme (WISP) connected Quality Crate Manufacturers with West Coast Plastics to replace virgin HDPE with recycled pellets. This synergy resulted in the diversion of 35 tonnes of plastic from landfills, the avoidance of 80 tonnes of CO2e emissions, and R350,000 in additional revenue for the recycler.

The report highlights a transition toward sustainable agriculture in South Africa, driven by climate change, water scarcity, and rising input costs. Key investment areas include undercover farming, renewable energy, conservation agriculture, precision agriculture, and urban agriculture. It emphasizes the Western Cape as a strategic hub for greentech due to its high-value export crop production and supportive government environment.

The South African energy services market, comprising small-scale embedded generation (SSEG), energy storage, and energy efficiency, is projected to reach a total available market value of approximately R125 billion by 2035. Growth is driven by rising Eskom electricity tariffs, falling costs of renewable technologies, and supportive regulatory shifts, such as the unbundling of Eskom and the 2019 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP). Key emerging opportunities include the bundling of rooftop solar PV projects to attract larger investors, solar PV for energy resellers in property developments, and the retrofitting of existing buildings for energy efficiency. While the C&I sector currently dominates solar installations, the energy storage market is expected to grow significantly through grid management and resource adequacy applications, potentially valued between R15 billion and R30 billion by 2030.

The Oranjezicht City Farm (OZCF) is a non-profit project in Cape Town that promotes urban agriculture and social cohesion. It operates a community farm, a farmers market, and the 'Bokashi Brigade' for decentralized food waste composting. The project contributes to the City of Cape Town's resilience goals by diverting 78-100 tonnes of organic waste from landfills annually and supporting local artisanal food producers.

The report outlines the growth of South Africa's utility-scale renewable energy market, driven by the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP) and the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP 2019). It highlights a potential market value of R418 billion for solar PV, wind, and distributed generation by 2030. Key opportunities include the upcoming Bid Window 5, local manufacturing of PV panels and wind towers, and the deployment of utility-scale batteries. The document also discusses the unbundling of Eskom into generation, transmission, and distribution entities to improve market competition and transparency.

Shoprite reduced its water use intensity by 8.7% between July 2018 and June 2019 in the Western Cape through a combination of water-saving devices, monitoring systems, and alternative water sourcing, resulting in a monthly saving of 2,528 kilolitres.

The document outlines the scale of food loss and waste in South Africa, noting that 27% of produced and imported food was wasted in 2011. It emphasizes a shift in the Western Cape toward mandatory organic waste diversion from landfills by 2027. The brief identifies key drivers for beneficiation, such as the Carbon Tax Act and Sustainable Development Goal 12.3, while detailing barriers including lack of source separation and liability fears regarding food donations. It proposes 29 solutions across prevention, recovery, and recycling categories and advocates for the adoption of the World Resource Institute's FLW Standard for better data recording.

The document argues that while Africa has seen improvements in health indicators, it is falling further behind the rest of the world in average income and economic productivity. It identifies a 'unproductive structure' of economies dominated by low-end services and a slow demographic transition as primary barriers. To ignite a 'growth revolution' by 2040, the author advocates for a 'bottom-up' approach prioritizing basic infrastructure, a reduction in birth rates to achieve a demographic dividend, and the revitalization of the manufacturing sector to support agriculture and high-value services.

The report describes the implementation of a groundwater monitoring network in Newlands and the Epping/Airport Industria areas of Cape Town. It combines desktop research from databases like WARMS and the National Groundwater Archive with field-based 'groundtruthing' via hydrocensus surveys of private borehole owners. The project identifies the geological characteristics of the Table Mountain Group and Cape Flats aquifers and deploys Solinst Leveloggers to track water levels. The findings highlight a significant increase in private borehole drilling between 2015 and 2019 and note concerns among users regarding water quality and the sustainability of abstraction levels.

The report examines the fragility of South African urban food systems exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting how lockdown regulations biased towards formal sectors exacerbated hunger and inequality. It argues that local governments, despite lacking a discrete formal mandate for food security, are uniquely positioned to realize the right to food through urban planning, regulation of markets, and support for the informal sector. The document emphasizes that climate change further threatens these systems by disrupting infrastructure and increasing water scarcity, necessitating a shift in municipal governance from being mere regulators to becoming enablers of sustainable, inclusive food systems.

The report advocates for the use of nature-based solutions (NBS) in South African municipalities to address the dual crises of COVID-19 economic devastation and climate vulnerability. It highlights that while national green recovery plans exist, they often require high skills and long lead times. In contrast, NBS—particularly urban tree planting and the removal of invasive alien plants—can provide immediate, low-skill employment for vulnerable populations while mitigating urban heat islands, managing flood risks, and improving public health. The document identifies significant barriers to implementation, including municipal funding shortages, difficulties in quantifying the economic value of natural assets, and rigid public procurement processes.

The document highlights the critical risk that unsustainable groundwater abstraction poses to Cape Town's water resilience and ecosystems, particularly following a severe drought between 2015 and 2019. It details a citizen science pilot project revealing a high number of unregistered boreholes in areas like Newlands and Epping. To address these gaps, the Table Mountain Water Source Partnership was formed in 2020 to integrate government, private sector, and community efforts in monitoring groundwater levels and quality.