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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 Hartenbos wastewater treatment works (WWTW) in the Western Cape has implemented a hybrid microgrid consisting of solar PV and battery energy storage (BESS) to ensure operational continuity during loadshedding. The system, completed in September 2025 with a cost between R100 million and R112 million, allows the facility to island from the grid, reduce diesel reliance, and export surplus power. The project serves as a model for other municipalities to stabilize critical services and lower energy expenditures through embedded renewable energy.

Mediclinic Southern Africa (MCSA) has implemented a water reduction strategy focusing on laundry wastewater recycling to ensure operational continuity amidst water scarcity. By installing recycling plants in six South African hospitals in 2024, MCSA reduced water use by 23-70% and achieved combined annual savings of approximately R1.5 million. The most significant impact was seen at Cape Gate Hospital, which reduced consumption by 70% with a payback period of about 3 years. Beyond laundry recycling, MCSA utilizes smart metering, SCADA monitoring systems, autoclave water recycling, and boreholes, with future plans to recycle sewage water for toilet flushing.

The Green Economy Strategy Framework for the Western Cape focuses on driving business opportunity and investment to become the "lowest carbon province & leading green economic hub of the African continent". Key priorities include renewable energy, where 60% of the 64 REIPPP projects were developed by Western Cape-based developers, and the Atlantis SEZ, which attracted Gestamp with a R220 million investment expected to create 200 permanent jobs. The framework also highlights the WISP initiative, which completed 11 business synergies in six months, and special initiatives such as the Better Living Challenge, a GREEN Finance Support facility, and RIA Waste to support green job creation.

The report evaluates the South African Green Finance Taxonomy (SA GFT) across three pillars: Make Substantial Contribution (MSC), Do No Significant Harm (DNSH), and Minimum Social Safeguards (MSS). While the SA GFT shows high international alignment in its environmental objectives and sectoral coverage, it faces significant usability challenges regarding the DNSH and MSS pillars due to a lack of quantitative thresholds and clear reporting guidelines. The report recommends introducing more flexible alignment classifications, increasing the use of quantitative metrics, and integrating existing national social regulations to improve adoption and cross-border climate finance flows.

The document provides a high-level analysis of South Africa's carbon credit and REC markets, highlighting a significant supply deficit in the compliance market and the challenges of high project development costs. It details the transition to mandatory carbon budgets and the influence of the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and Article 6 of the Paris Agreement on the domestic landscape.

GreenCape has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a legal service provider to assist in developing a Waste Management Policy and Regulatory Tool. The tool is intended to help municipalities and project developers navigate the complex legal requirements for implementing alternative waste treatment technologies in South Africa, specifically within the Western Cape province.

The GreenUp initiative in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, is a collaborative recycling project launched in June 2019 by Distell with support from the City of Cape Town and Western Cape Provincial Government. The project integrates waste pickers into the formal waste management system by providing infrastructure, training, and equipment, enabling them to collect and sell recyclables to buyback centres. Between 2019 and 2022, membership grew from 62 to 120 people. In 2020, the project diverted 60-100 tonnes of recyclables from landfills and generated income for members between R80,000 and R120,000. The model is presented as a potentially replicable approach for implementing extended producer responsibility (EPR) regulations by incorporating the informal sector.

GreenCape has issued RFP SIDAFF 01/2025 to appoint a Professional Service Provider for the project preparation of two water infrastructure projects in the Swartland Municipality. Project A involves upgrading the Swartland Water Treatment Works from 29Ml/d to 40Ml/d (est. R305 million), and Project B involves upgrading the bulk pipeline between Malmesbury and Darling (est. R200 million). The preparation must follow ECSA guidelines and IFC/World Bank environmental and social standards, focusing on technical feasibility, financial bankability, and climate resilience. The procurement is phased, with initial stages fixed-fee and later stages based on confirmed project costs.

This Request for Proposal (RFP No. SIDAFF 01/2026), issued by the GreenCape Sector Development Agency on 24 June 2026, seeks a service provider to conduct a 7-day sampling, testing, and analysis campaign at the Vredenburg Wastewater Treatment Works (WWTW) in the Saldanha Bay Local Municipality. The data collected will inform the design of proposed upgrades to the facility. The project is part of the Sustainable Infrastructure Development and Financial Facility (SIDAFF) Programme, an initiative of the Western Cape Government supported by international donors including the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and Impact Fund Denmark (IFD).

This document is a Request for Quotation (RFQ) issued by GreenCape for a service provider to conduct project close-out evaluations for an intervention titled "Active climate change citizenship for a just transition in South Africa." The project, co-financed by the European Union, aims to empower citizens, women, and youth to participate in democratic processes regarding climate mitigation and adaptation, specifically within the renewable energy sector.

This document is a Request for Quotation (RFQ) issued by the GreenCape Sector Development Agency to secure additional office space in Cape Town to accommodate team members for the JUST SA project.

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.

GreenCape has issued a Request for Quotation (RFQ) for a full conference package to support a project for the German International Climate Initiative (JUST SA). The package includes venue hire, catering, accommodation, and a recreational activity for 30 delegates in the Kruger Lowveld region of Mpumalanga from 21 to 25 May 2024.

Mpumalanga is positioned as a strategic hub for South Africa's renewable energy transition due to its significant grid capacity and proximity to industrial demand. However, developers face substantial hurdles, including a lack of a public mining cadastre and delays in Section 53 land-use applications under the Mineral and Petroleum Resource Development Act. Environmental risks, specifically the lack of precise data on endangered bird flight paths, create uncertainty for wind projects. The document suggests short-term mitigations like the Energy One Stop Shop and Strategic Infrastructure Project registration, while advocating for long-term solutions such as a public mining rights database and comprehensive bird monitoring studies.

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 outlines systemic failures in the integration of water resource and development planning in the Berg WMA, highlighting a top-down planning approach, a lack of municipal capacity to secure off-budget finance, and a disconnect between Integrated Development Plans (IDPs) and water availability assessments.

The document presents a data-driven overview of Cape Town's green sectors, highlighting a total of 600 assessed companies. It breaks down the energy, water, and waste industries by company size and function, while detailing municipal budget figures and investments in green infrastructure, including the Atlantis Special Economic Zone for Green Technologies.