South Africa

Agriculture is the primary economic activity in the rural areas of South Africa, yet the overwhelming majority of South African households have very limited access to agricultural land: 82% of households have access to less than 1 ha of agricultural land and two-thirds have access to less than 0.5 ha. At the same time, it is estimated that this sector has the potential to create one million new jobs by 2030.  

In the manufacturing sector, focal areas for green business development include water efficiency, solar and wind energy manufacturing, biofuel blending and industrial energy efficiency, as well as improving access to international markets for environmental goods and services.

The micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) involved in SWITCH Africa Green projects in South Africa benefit from technical advice on eco-innovation and aspects of sustainable consumption and production, such as resource efficiency, integrated waste management, energy efficiency and industrial symbiosis, as well as general business advice on management, including financial management.

Projects

Closed Agriculture
Awareness creation and capacity-building on eco-labelling for the agricultural sector

One of Africa’s key strategies, as identified in the 10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns and its corresponding roadmap, is to promote a shift towards sustainable consumption and production – SCP – through eco-labelling.

Ongoing Agriculture
Farmer to market – Smallholder access to high-value horticultural markets

In South Africa, several traders, including supermarkets and food processing industries, have developed their own private quality and safety standards. Vegetable growers wishing to supply supermarkets, food processing industries and other high-value retail markets are expected to adopt the relevant standards and obtain independent certification.

Completed Agriculture
Promoting eco-entrepreneurship in Africa

The greatest challenges facing eco-enterprises are a lack of access to knowledge, networks, financing and high-quality business development services and poor enabling conditions, including a shortage of skilled people at the community level.

Completed Agriculture
Collaborating to facilitate investment and the shift to a green economy that can improve social wellbeing and ecosystem services in the Port Elizabeth western catchment areas

The city of Port Elizabeth and its western catchment areas are experiencing considerable environmental, economic and social challenges, including energy and water supply constraints, that undermine the city’s potential to grow.

Completed Agriculture
Sustainable production and commercialization strategies in the agrifood sector in South Africa

Declining farming profitability and water scarcity (drought, declining rainfall and excessive demand for water) has left South Africa with fewer than two-thirds the number of farms it had just a few decades ago. Agriculture is a key water consumer in South Africa, with about 62% of the country’s surface water being used for irrigation.

Completed Agriculture
Promoting Sustainable Consumption and Production in South African agricultural value chains

Fairtrade certification is the world’s leading ethical and sustainability certification system for agriculture, benefiting farming communities and micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises.

Completed Agriculture
Meat Naturally Initiative: Embedding sustainability into South Africa's emerging red meat sector

South Africa contains some of the most biologically rich rangelands in the world and a full 70% of the country is suitable for sustainable grazing. South Africa’s rangelands are also home to 76% of the poorest people in the country, many of whose livelihoods depend on livestock.

Completed Integrated Waste Management
Management of sustainable energy production from integrated waste management and agricultural processing systems

Many micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises lack an awareness of sustainable agricultural value and supply chains and how agricultural waste-to-energy systems can support sustainable consumption and production practices. The agricultural sector is facing unprecedented resource pressures.

Ongoing Manufacturing
Promoting inclusive sustainable practices in the South African clay brick sector

The South African clay brick manufacturing sector is both a diverse and a geographically distributed industry that provides employment both in the organized, formal sector and in an informal sector mostly made up of brickmakers in rural, under-developed areas.

Completed Manufacturing
Enhancing the resource productivity and environmental performance of MSMEs in 6 African countries through the concept of industrial symbiosis

The problem of the collection, management and disposal of waste continues to feature prominently in major towns and cities across African countries. This has led to contamination of water bodies and to the spread of waterborne diseases and other health hazards.

SWITCH-Africa Green Programme is implemented by the United Nations Environment Programme with the financial support of the European Union. The contents of this website are the sole responsibility of the project partners and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.

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