Creating sustainable growth through eco-friendly financial solutions
Green Investment SA is dedicated to creating a sustainable economic landscape across South Africa through environmentally conscious investment strategies. We believe that financial growth and environmental stewardship can work hand in hand to create a prosperous future for all South Africans. Our approach combines rigorous financial analysis with deep ecological understanding to identify opportunities that benefit investors while protecting and enhancing natural resources.
Since our founding in 2010, we have facilitated over R5 billion in green investments across renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, eco-tourism, and green infrastructure projects. These investments have not only provided competitive financial returns but have also created thousands of jobs, reduced carbon emissions, and helped preserve South Africa's unique biodiversity.
We invite investors, businesses, and communities to join us in this critical mission to transform South Africa's economy into one that works in harmony with nature while providing prosperity for all citizens.
Discover our portfolio of innovative sustainable development projects across South Africa that are creating environmental and social impact while delivering strong returns for investors.
Our flagship renewable energy project spans 200 hectares in the sun-rich Northern Cape, generating 150MW of clean energy for approximately 80,000 homes. This R1.2 billion investment has created 350 permanent jobs while reducing carbon emissions by an estimated 240,000 tonnes annually. The project incorporates innovative storage solutions and community ownership models that ensure benefits flow directly to local populations.
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This R450 million project is revolutionizing agriculture in the Eastern Cape through water-efficient farming techniques, organic practices, and digital technology integration. Working with 1,200 small-scale farmers, we've helped increase yields by 40% while reducing water usage by 30%. The initiative focuses on drought-resistant indigenous crops and has established direct market links that have doubled farmer incomes while reducing food miles.
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Our urban sustainability project has transformed commercial real estate in Johannesburg with six net-zero energy buildings totaling 75,000 square meters. These structures use 60% less energy than conventional buildings, harvest rainwater, and feature extensive green roofs that reduce urban heat island effects. The R850 million investment has created a template for future development while delivering premium rental returns and 30% lower operating costs.
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This pioneering R320 million waste management initiative has diverted 70% of Cape Town's solid waste from landfills through innovative recycling, composting, and waste-to-energy technologies. The project has created 280 direct jobs and supports a network of 500 waste collectors who now earn formalized incomes. The facility produces biogas for local energy needs and high-quality compost for urban farming initiatives throughout the region.
View DetailsOur dedicated research team continuously explores new sustainable investment opportunities and innovations that can drive both environmental impact and financial returns in the South African context.
Our comprehensive study of South Africa's green bond market reveals significant growth potential over the next decade. South Africa currently accounts for only 0.1% of global green bond issuance despite having one of Africa's most sophisticated financial markets. Our research identifies regulatory reforms, standardization frameworks, and investor education as key drivers that could increase this market tenfold by 2030. We've developed innovative risk assessment models specifically calibrated for the South African context that are helping investors more accurately price these instruments.
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Water scarcity presents both a critical challenge and investment opportunity for South Africa. Our research team has developed a comprehensive assessment framework for water technology investments that evaluates technological viability, market potential, regulatory compliance, and social impact. This methodology has been applied to evaluate over 40 emerging water conservation, purification, and management technologies. The resulting investment guide identifies five high-potential technology clusters with projected annual growth rates exceeding 20% and significant positive externalities for water-stressed communities.
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Our groundbreaking climate risk assessment toolkit enables investors to quantify physical and transition climate risks across their South African portfolios. Using downscaled climate models, sectoral vulnerability analyses, and policy transition scenarios, this framework provides actionable insights for risk mitigation and opportunity identification. The research incorporates South Africa's unique climate vulnerabilities, regulatory landscape, and socioeconomic factors to deliver more accurate projections than generic global models. Early adopters of this methodology have reported significantly improved portfolio resilience and identification of previously overlooked investment opportunities.
Download ReportOur diverse portfolio spans multiple sectors and investment types, all united by a commitment to environmental sustainability and strong financial performance.
Total Assets Under Management
Average Annual Return
Active Projects
Provinces Covered
Renewable Energy (45%)
Sustainable Agriculture (22%)
Green Buildings (18%)
Water Management (10%)
Other Green Initiatives (5%)
Our flagship renewable energy fund has delivered a 22.4% annualized return since inception in 2015, outperforming the JSE All Share Index by 7.3%. The fund focuses on utility-scale solar and wind projects with long-term power purchase agreements, providing investors with stable cash flows and significant tax benefits. The current portfolio includes 14 operational projects generating 870MW of clean electricity and avoiding 1.2 million tonnes of CO2 emissions annually.
The agriculture portfolio has shown remarkable resilience through recent drought periods, delivering a 16.8% return while conventional farming investments struggled. Our focus on water-efficient practices, climate-smart crops, and integrated value chains has created robust operations that thrive despite challenging conditions. The fund includes 28,000 hectares of sustainably managed farmland supporting 3,500 jobs across four provinces.
Our green property investments have consistently outperformed conventional real estate, with premium rental rates and 40% lower vacancy rates. These buildings achieve 65-80% energy savings compared to conventional structures and command 12-15% higher selling prices. The portfolio includes 12 certified green buildings across major South African cities, with a combined value of R2.2 billion and over 200,000 square meters of sustainable commercial space.
Expand your knowledge of green investment opportunities in South Africa with these valuable resources from our partners and leading organizations in the field.
Join us at these upcoming events to learn more about green investment opportunities and connect with stakeholders in South Africa's sustainable development ecosystem.
Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg
Our flagship annual event brings together investors, project developers, policymakers, and industry experts to explore the latest trends and opportunities in sustainable finance for South Africa. This year's summit will focus on scaling renewable energy investments, innovative financing mechanisms for climate adaptation, and the role of private equity in driving the green economy.
Register NowStellenbosch University, Cape Town
This intensive one-day workshop will provide deep insights into investment opportunities in South Africa's growing sustainable agriculture sector. Topics include climate-smart farming techniques, agricultural technology innovations, supply chain integration, and investment structures that align environmental and financial returns while supporting rural development goals.
Register NowVirtual Event
This specialized online session will demystify the green bond market for issuers and investors in South Africa. The masterclass covers international standards and local regulations, the verification and certification process, pricing considerations, and post-issuance reporting requirements. Case studies of successful South African green bond issuances will provide practical insights for participants.
Register NowDurban International Convention Centre
This forum addresses the critical challenge of measuring and reporting environmental and social impacts of green investments. Industry experts will present standardized methodologies, tools, and best practices for impact assessment that align with international frameworks while reflecting South African priorities and contexts. The event includes hands-on workshops with practical tools for implementing robust impact measurement systems.
Register NowOur commitment to excellence in sustainable finance has been recognized through numerous prestigious awards and accolades.
Recognized for pioneering green bond frameworks that have mobilized over R2.5 billion for renewable energy projects across South Africa. The judges particularly noted our innovative approach to integrating social impact metrics with environmental outcomes, creating investment vehicles that address multiple Sustainable Development Goals simultaneously.
Our blended finance facility for water infrastructure was recognized as a groundbreaking approach to funding critical climate adaptation projects. The structure successfully combined concessional funding from development finance institutions with commercial capital to achieve attractive risk-adjusted returns while addressing one of South Africa's most pressing environmental challenges.
Our Renewable Energy Fund was recognized for outstanding performance in both financial returns and environmental impact. The fund demonstrated how rigorous ESG integration can drive superior investment outcomes, achieving a 24.3% return while financing projects that reduced carbon emissions by over 800,000 tonnes annually and created 1,200 permanent jobs in rural communities.
Awarded by the Global Impact Investing Network for our comprehensive approach to measuring, managing, and reporting impact outcomes across our entire portfolio. The judges highlighted our innovative use of technology to capture real-time impact data and our transparent reporting framework that has become a benchmark for the industry in emerging markets.
Interested in learning more about green investment opportunities in South Africa? Our team of experts is ready to assist you.
Johannesburg (Head Office):
Green Investment Tower
123 Sandton Drive
Sandton, 2196
South Africa
Cape Town:
Sustainable Finance House
45 Long Street
Cape Town, 8001
South Africa
Phone: +27 (0)11 234 5678
Email: [email protected]
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:30am-5:00pm SAST
R1.2 billion
150MW
240,000 tonnes
350 permanent
The Northern Cape Solar Initiative represents our largest renewable energy investment to date, leveraging South Africa's abundant solar resources to generate clean power while creating economic opportunities in one of the country's most underserved regions. The project utilizes the latest bifacial solar panel technology, which captures sunlight from both sides of the panel, increasing energy yield by up to 27% compared to traditional panels.
A unique aspect of this project is its innovative community ownership structure, where 20% of the equity is held by a community trust that channels dividends into local development initiatives including education, healthcare, and small business development. This model has become a template for inclusive renewable energy development across South Africa.
The project also incorporates 50MWh of battery storage, allowing it to continue delivering power during evening peak demand periods and demonstrating the viability of dispatchable solar power in the South African context.
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