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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 report examines the nascent electric vehicle market in South Africa, highlighting a strong existing automotive manufacturing base that faces risks from global shifts toward EVs. While South Africa lacks specific EV subsidies, the report identifies key opportunities in electric bus manufacturing, lithium-ion battery production, and passenger vehicle exports. It notes significant barriers, including high import duties (averaging 42% total taxes) and a lack of policy certainty, while suggesting that the Western Cape is a primary hub for greentech investment.

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 report identifies significant economic potential in diverting waste from landfills in South Africa, particularly in the Western Cape. Key opportunities are highlighted in the organics, plastics, e-waste, and construction sectors, driven by dwindling landfill airspace, rising disposal costs, and emerging regulations like Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and the Carbon Tax Act. The Western Cape is positioned as a greentech hub, with the City of Cape Town generating the majority of the region's waste and offering the highest market value for beneficiation.

The report examines the South African urban water sector, highlighting a projected 17% gap between water supply and demand by 2030. It identifies significant investment opportunities in the agri-processing sector (estimated at R6 billion) and the municipal sector, including wastewater reuse (theoretical potential of R50 billion) and biogas/energy efficiency projects. The document details the regulatory landscape, including the National Water Act and municipal by-laws, and discusses barriers such as low water tariffs, capacity constraints in municipalities, and public perception of reclaimed water.

Between 2015 and 2018, Cape Town faced an unprecedented drought that threatened a 'Day Zero' scenario where water supply to 75% of homes would be cut. To prevent economic collapse and mass unemployment, the City of Cape Town (CCT) and Western Cape Government (WCG) formed the 'Economic Water Resilience Task Team'. This partnership included entities like GreenCape, Wesgro, and the National Business Initiative to mobilize businesses, provide technical guidance on water efficiency, and coordinate messaging. Despite punitive tariff increases and severe restrictions, the region avoided a macroeconomic jobs crisis, with the Western Cape and Cape Town both seeing decreases in their 2017/18 annual unemployment rates.

The document details the transition of South African municipal electricity distribution from a monopoly to a distributed generation model, focusing on the adoption of rooftop solar PV. It highlights the role of the City of Cape Town as a pioneer in developing SSEG policies and tariffs, supported by GreenCape and the Western Cape Government. The study identifies six levers to drive this transition, including technical support, regulatory certainty, and new finance models, to prevent the 'utility death spiral' where municipalities lose revenue as customers switch to renewable energy. By October 2018, 22 of 25 electricity-distributing municipalities in the Western Cape allowed SSEG, with 18 having NERSA-approved feed-in tariffs.

The document examines the IkamvaYouth programme in Atlantis, South Africa, which provides tutoring, mentoring, and career guidance to Grade 8-12 learners. It highlights the link between low education levels and high unemployment, noting that over 50% of unemployed people in 2018 had less than a matric qualification. The programme aims to create a skills pipeline for the Atlantis Special Economic Zone (ASEZ), a greentech manufacturing hub. In 2017, 94% of IkamvaYouth students in Atlantis passed their matric exams, compared to lower rates at feeder schools. However, the programme faces significant local challenges, including gang violence and poor internet connectivity, which hinder tutor recruitment and learner retention.

GreenCape implemented a four-part strategy to support water-intense industries in Cape Town during the 2015-18 drought, focusing on partnerships, prioritisation of high-employment sectors, short-term viable solutions, and long-term capacity building. Between June 2017 and August 2018, nearly 400 businesses received direct assistance, leading to an average consumption reduction of 41% and the safeguarding of 52,000 jobs among surveyed companies. The initiative utilised tools such as the 'Water Resilience Journey' methodology and a business case calculator to communicate financial risks and returns. Key lessons included the need for disaggregated data to avoid overlooking vulnerable sectors like the laundry industry and the value of leveraging businesses as 'corporate citizens' through initiatives like the Smart Water Meter Challenge.

The Oversight Committee (OC) determined that the elections for the ASEZ-CSN were "fair, free and transparent" and aligned with the established Terms of Reference (ToR). The process involved a mixed-methods approach combining quantitative voting results with qualitative vetting based on criteria such as diversity, organisational citizenship, SEZ knowledge, and activism. While the overall process was successful, the OC noted that some nominees failed to meet eligibility criteria in initial rounds, necessitating second-round elections for the Youth and Education sectors. The final ASEZ-CSN is described as a "truly diverse, represented forum" reflecting the demographics of the Atlantis community.

The document outlines the challenges businesses face when extracting saline groundwater, specifically the production of brine during treatment processes like reverse osmosis. It categorizes brine management into direct discharge and treatment for resource recovery, noting that most solutions are constrained by high capital and operational costs or strict regulatory requirements. Key barriers include a 2019 liquids-to-landfill ban and high costs for sea outfall pipelines and crystallization technologies.

The document details the establishment of the South African Renewable Energy Technology Centre (SARETEC), a national accredited Solar PV Service Technician qualification, and the PV GreenCard voluntary quality assurance mechanism. It highlights the importance of local partnerships, international expertise (particularly from Germany), and proactive timing in addressing skills gaps to support both utility-scale and small-scale solar PV deployment in South Africa.