Overview of the Green Fund
The Green Fund focuses on agriculture, energy, transport, water and waste. In particular, these sectors reflect South Africa’s unique environmental and developmental challenges. At the same time, they offer practical opportunities to advance a greener and more resilient economy.
The Green Fund operates as a national funding instrument that provides catalytic finance for green initiatives. It actively supports South Africa’s transition towards a low-carbon and resource-efficient economy. Furthermore, the Development Bank of Southern Africa manages the fund on behalf of the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, thereby ensuring strong institutional oversight and accountability.
Importantly, the Fund supports innovative projects that require assistance to close funding gaps. In other words, it prioritises initiatives that deliver measurable environmental benefits but lack sufficient capital. Since its inception, the Fund has supported 20 active and two completed projects. Together, these projects account for an investment of approximately R679,8 million.
Purpose and Strategic Objectives
The Fund drives the transition to a green economy, particularly in areas where market forces fail to reflect environmental costs accurately. Consequently, it promotes high-impact green programmes and scalable projects. In addition, it strengthens climate policy objectives and advances sustainable economic development through targeted green interventions.
Moreover, the grant provider seeks to attract foreign and additional domestic investment into the greening of the South African economy. Therefore, the Fund complements existing financial mechanisms instead of replacing them. It adds value to current fiscal allocations and focuses specifically on innovative projects that need to bridge a financing gap.
Eligible Applicants and Support
The Fund welcomes applications from private companies, Category B and C municipalities, metropolitan municipalities, provincial governments, NGOs, research institutions and universities. In this way, it encourages collaboration across public and private sectors.
Dream Team Capital assists applicants with project development, compliance alignment and application preparation. As a result, applicants improve the quality of their submissions and strengthen their prospects of securing grant funding. Together, stakeholders can contribute to building a greener South Africa.
Key Areas of the Green Fund
The Fund concentrates on green cities and towns, particularly municipal infrastructure, green buildings and integrated planning for climate-resilient urban areas. In addition, it advances the low-carbon economy through renewable energy generation, sustainable public transport systems and energy efficiency initiatives.
Furthermore, it prioritises environmental and natural resource management, including public open space development and ecosystem services management. Through these focus areas, the Fund stimulates environmentally responsible growth and long-term sustainability.
Green Fund Criteria
To support qualifying South African projects, the Fund provides clearly defined grant thresholds. Firstly, it offers up to R25 million for project preparation, including feasibility studies and technical support. Secondly, it provides up to R70 million for direct investment funding, depending on project scale and impact.
For more information and professional assistance with non-repayable business grants, interested parties are encouraged to make direct contact for expert guidance and support.
