By Lebone Rodah Mosima
GreenCape has been named Impact Intermediary of the Year at the Krutham Africa Impact Investment Awards, with judges citing its partnership with the City of Cape Town and its role in supporting green economy investment and job creation.
The award was announced this month at the Africa Impact Summit in Lusaka, Zambia.
The City of Cape Town said GreenCape, a not-for-profit green economy organisation established in 2010, had helped facilitate and support about R70 billion in green economy investment and the creation of about 22,000 jobs across South Africa.
Cape Town Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Growth Alderman James Vos said the award recognised a long-running partnership aimed at strengthening the city’s green economy, supporting businesses and attracting investment.
“This recognition is particularly significant because the judges specifically acknowledged the partnership between GreenCape and the City of Cape Town as a contributing factor to GreenCape’s success,” Vos said.
“Their recognition provides independent validation of a longstanding partnership that has consistently focused on strengthening Cape Town’s economy, supporting business competitiveness, attracting investment, and creating opportunities for residents.”
The city said GreenCape’s city-supported programmes facilitated more than R7.4 billion in investment between 2020 and 2025, leveraged nearly R100 million in additional funding, supported 1,242 SMMEs, hosted more than 100 industry events and facilitated more than 1,000 industry and stakeholder engagements.
It said GreenCape also generated publicly accessible market intelligence resources that had been downloaded more than 30,000 times.
“These outcomes demonstrate the value of investing in initiatives that strengthen the broader economic ecosystem and create the conditions necessary for businesses to grow, invest, and create employment opportunities,” Vos said.
“A key focus of the partnership has been strengthening the competitiveness and resilience of Cape Town’s industrial base.”
Vos said this work was becoming increasingly important as international markets introduce sustainability and carbon-related trade measures that are expected to affect market access and competitiveness for exporters.
He said one of the partnership’s flagship initiatives was the Western Cape Industrial Symbiosis Programme, known as WISP, which is supported by the city and implemented by GreenCape in collaboration with industry partners.
“The programme helps businesses transform waste streams into productive economic inputs, reducing costs while creating new economic opportunities,” he said.
“Through WISP, about 146,000 tonnes of waste have been diverted from landfill, more than 435,000 tonnes of carbon emissions have been avoided, over R155 million in financial benefits have been generated for participating businesses, and hundreds of jobs have been supported.”
The programme has also received international recognition. In 2021, the City of Cape Town received a Medal of Honour at the Guangzhou International Award for Urban Innovation for its partnership with WISP.
WISP was also recently featured by The Earthshot Prize and Arup as an example of how cities can use circular economy principles to reduce waste, improve industrial competitiveness and create new economic opportunities.
Vos said GreenCape had generated about R140 in investment for every R1 invested by the City of Cape Town. Krutham’s award citation also referred to this return, based on green economy infrastructure investment tracked through investor declarations.
“This latest achievement builds on a growing body of international recognition associated with the City-GreenCape partnership and demonstrates the value of long-term collaboration in strengthening competitiveness, attracting investment, supporting businesses, and creating economic opportunities,” Vos said.
“We look forward to building on the success of a partnership that continues to deliver investment, jobs, and economic opportunities for the people of Cape Town.”
GreenCape’s work is supported by several public and private partners, meaning its national investment and jobs figures should not be read as outcomes of City funding alone. The city-backed programmes, however, form a significant part of Cape Town’s green economy development strategy.
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