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BG Servers, a drum reconditioning SMME in Cape Town, reduced its municipal water consumption by 97% between 2009 and 2021. By installing rainwater harvesting and borehole systems, and introducing a vacuum residue system, the company decreased annual municipal usage from 2,300 kl to under 70 kl. These interventions resulted in cumulative municipal account savings of approximately R740,000 from 2011 to 2021. The company's efforts were recognized by the City of Cape Town with a 5-star water rating certification in 2022.

The guidelines establish standards for container-based sanitation (CBS), a system where toilets collect excreta in sealable containers for transport to treatment facilities. It defines a service chain comprising customer relations, design and operations (containment, collection, and transfer), and the commercialisation of reuse products. The document outlines 'Safe Minimum Standards' and 'Aspirational Standards' across the sanitation chain, including toilet design (in-home vs. standalone), servicing frequency (typically 2-3 times per week), container cleaning, and waste beneficiation into products like animal protein, biochar, and liquid fertiliser. It emphasizes the importance of user engagement, occupational health and safety (OHS) for workers, and the integration of CBS into broader waste management and urban planning, particularly for informal settlements where sewer infrastructure is not feasible.

The document outlines the opportunities and regulatory requirements for private sector engagement in South Africa's water sector. It highlights a significant infrastructure investment gap, with an estimated R900 billion needed over the next decade. Key opportunities are identified in metropolitan municipalities, where R54.6 billion is planned for water and sanitation spend between 2023/24 and 2025/26. The guide details the roles of national and local government, the impact of new legislation like the Public Procurement Act (2024) and the NWRIA Act (2024), and the specific procurement thresholds and B-BBEE scoring systems used in public tenders. It also lists innovation platforms and trial mechanisms for new technologies.

The document outlines how municipal wastewater treatment works (WWTWs) in South Africa can reduce energy consumption and carbon footprints through optimized sludge management. It details specific technical interventions in primary sedimentation, dewatering, thickening, and stabilisation, while providing a business case for biogas production and a framework of financing mechanisms for implementing these energy efficiency projects.

The document outlines how mini-hydro and wind energy can be integrated into South African municipal wastewater treatment works (WWTWs) to lower energy bills and greenhouse gas emissions. Mini-hydro is presented as highly compatible with WWTW infrastructure, utilizing water flow and elevation drops to generate electricity, with a typical payback period of 5 to 10 years. Small-scale wind is described as a supplementary option to offset grid use, though it is less common due to cost and the need for multi-year wind studies. The factsheet also provides a framework for financing these projects through municipal budgets, grants, concessional loans, and energy performance contracts.

The document outlines the potential for industrial symbiosis by using waste foundry sand (WFS) as a secondary material in sectors like brickmaking and road construction. It highlights the economic benefits for foundries and off-takers, the regulatory hurdles involving waste classification and management licenses, and the technical requirements for processing WFS to ensure product quality.

The document assesses the potential for Western Cape businesses to leverage time-of-use (TOU) tariffs through BESS arbitrage, comparing the repurposing of existing systems against new installations. It finds that while upgrading existing BESS offers high internal rates of return (IRR), new installations are more sensitive to tariff escalation rates and investment horizons, with a 15-year outlook generally improving financial performance.

The document argues that collective action between government, businesses, and citizens is essential to address South Africa's water availability and quality challenges. It showcases several successful water stewardship models, including nature-based solutions like invasive alien plant clearing, community-based rangeland and spring protection, and municipal water loss reduction through leak repairs and valve refurbishment. These projects are presented as cost-effective alternatives to traditional grey infrastructure, offering measurable returns in water yield, job creation, and social benefits.

Mediclinic implemented solar PV across 29 hospital sites, using a PPA model for 10 sites, including Durbanville Hospital, to avoid upfront costs. The Durbanville installation, commissioned in November 2021, consists of a 704.6 kW (DC) system that produces approximately 1.17 GWh of green electricity annually, offsetting about 1,076 tons of carbon emissions. The 25-year take-or-pay PPA provided immediate savings, with initial electricity prices approximately 60% lower than municipal rates. The document highlights the benefits of PPAs for operational de-risking and financial hedging against rising grid costs, while recommending clear maintenance responsibilities and sector-specific provider experience for similar projects.

The document serves as a reference sheet for groundwater application processes, listing key contacts at the City of Cape Town (CoCT), the Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning (DEA&DP), and the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS). It also catalogues official guidelines, bylaws, and presentations related to the National Water Act and water use licenses.

The Western Cape has a potential wheeling market of up to 1,600 MW of new renewable energy, representing an investment opportunity of up to R25.6bn. While wheeling allows customers to purchase power from independent power producers (IPPs) via existing grids, its uptake is hindered by limited municipal capacity and the requirement that municipalities be in good financial standing with Eskom. To address these barriers, Eskom is piloting 'virtual wheeling', expected to launch in early 2025, which allows municipal customers to access energy from Eskom-connected IPPs without waiting for municipal readiness. Current wheeling in the province is limited to a few local municipalities, including the City of Cape Town, George, and Swartland. The document highlights that wheeling can provide significant cost savings and price stability for businesses through bilateral power purchase agreements (PPAs), though long-term financial models should account for potential future decreases in daytime energy tariffs.

The document analyzes the alignment of water services by-laws in Western Cape municipalities with the 2005 Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF) model by-law. It identifies gaps in regulatory clarity, highlights specific business risks such as industrial effluent permits and water audits, and notes that municipalities with more recent updates generally provide better certainty for investors and operators.

The document explores the role of Black Soldier Fly (BSF) larvae in converting organic waste into frass, a nutrient-rich excrement that serves as a bio-fertiliser. It argues that BSF frass can support regenerative horticulture by improving soil health and reducing the ecological impact of synthetic fertilisers. In South Africa, where fertiliser is heavily imported and food waste is significant, the brief identifies a potential market for frass production valued between R3.1 and R12.4 billion per year. However, growth is hindered by scaling challenges, low market awareness, and significant regulatory delays in product registration through the Department of Agriculture Land Reform and Rural Development.

ACA Threads transitioned from using single-use virgin polypropylene spools to a buy-back and recycling system. By partnering with an injection moulder and social organisations, the company recovered 7 tons of material from landfills over five years, saving over R460,000 and generating income for disabled persons' organisations and local community projects.

The document details the process and outcomes of the City of Cape Town's initial attempt to analyze its 10-year capital portfolio for climate resilience. It identifies eight key lessons, emphasizing the need for consolidated databases, a focus on climate-related shocks, and the development of project typologies. The analysis revealed significant under-tagging of resilience projects by project managers, particularly in the Human Settlements directorate, and highlights the importance of secondary resilience benefits from primary mandates. The report concludes with a roadmap to mature the resilience assessment process by 2025.

This case study examines the role of electronic waste (e-waste) repair and redistribution in South Africa, focusing on The Appliance Bank as a model for integrating circular economy principles with social upliftment. It highlights how diverting e-waste from landfills through refurbishment can create jobs for unemployed men and provide affordable technology to low-income communities.

The document argues that EVaaS—a bundled subscription model covering vehicles, charging infrastructure, and maintenance—can make electric vehicle (EV) adoption more attractive for South African fleet managers by removing high upfront capital costs. Using a theoretical case of 50 panel vans, it demonstrates that EVaaS is financially viable compared to internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles if monthly subscriptions are priced at or below R16,000 per vehicle. It highlights a real-world application by Everlectric with Woolworths and DSV, noting significant operational cost reductions and CO2 savings, while identifying a lack of accurate residual value data from banks as a primary financial hurdle for EVaaS providers.

The report argues that solar PV is highly suitable for packhouses because their peak energy demands for cooling and packing align with daytime solar generation. Through modelling an apple packhouse, the report finds that large-scale systems (500 kWp) are consistently profitable across various tariff and financing scenarios, while smaller systems (≤10 kWp) require favourable financing to be viable. It emphasizes that the primary value is derived from replacing expensive grid electricity rather than selling excess power back to the grid, which offers lower returns. The report also identifies regulatory hurdles, noting that feed-in tariffs are only available in specific Western Cape municipalities.

The V&A Waterfront reduced its annual water consumption from 1,370,084 kℓ in 2010 to 479,018 kℓ by 2020, representing a 65% decrease. This was achieved through a phased 'Water Resilience Journey' that prioritised low-cost interventions—such as awareness campaigns and water-efficient fittings—before moving to complex systems like greywater reuse and seawater cooling. Total investments of approximately R7 million in water-saving measures resulted in estimated cost savings of R40 million. The property also utilised 'green leases' to mandate tenant adherence to sustainability principles, with some tenants reducing consumption by 25% to 60%.

The document argues that the circular economy is a strategic tool for businesses to navigate a 'decade of polycrisis' characterized by supply chain uncertainty and material insecurity. It focuses specifically on the City of Cape Town, noting that the city is expected to run out of landfill space by 2035 and currently has the highest landfill gate fees among South African metros. The guide introduces a 7-step process for CEOs to transition from linear to circular models, ranging from mapping resource flows to influencing supply chains. It details '9R' strategies—such as refuse, rethink, reduce, reuse, repair, refurbish, remanufacture, repurpose, and recycle—supported by local examples like Zerocrete and Barloworld Equipment. Additionally, it outlines regulatory pressures, including mandatory Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for sectors like packaging and electronics, and a provincial target for 100% organic waste diversion from landfills in the Western Cape by 2027.