/ 30 March 2023

Green entrepreneurship for a sustainable future

Indalo Inclusive Symposium
Panel discussion on ESG financing opportunities for SMMEs

Indalo Inclusive Symposium celebrates eco-entrepreneurs and strategic partnerships for South Africa’s just transition 

As the world grapples with the devastating effects of climate change and South Africa continues to face an acute unemployment crisis, eco-entrepreneurship is emerging as a critical force for building a sustainable future and ensuring a just and inclusive transition to a net-zero economy. 

This was the message from entrepreneurs, industry experts, investors, policymakers and government agencies as they gathered at the Maslow Hotel in Pretoria on 16 and 17 March for the Indalo Inclusive Symposium. The two-day symposium, in partnership with Nedbank and The Government of Flanders, explored innovative solutions and global best practice to promote the growth of eco-entrepreneurship and advance sustainable business practices in South Africa. It highlighted the vital role of small, medium and micro-sized enterprises (SMMEs) in driving the country’s economic development and social and environmental progress.

Indalo Inclusive Symposium
Dr Meseret Zemedkun, Head of UNEP Southern Africa Regional Office.

Sasol’s Vice-President for Climate Change, Shamini Harrington, warned that climate action is no longer negotiable, and said South African industries cannot afford to delay. Speaking to nearly 200 delegates, she cautioned that while the transition to a low-carbon economy is critical, “we must do so while preserving value, because we cannot afford to shake an economy that is already so fragile”. She added that strategy must be underpinned by partnership and that an entire ecosystem is necessary to succeed in unlocking the green economy and the opportunities it holds.

Head of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Dr Meseret Zemedkun said that the recycling sector alone holds the potential for more than 400 000 new jobs to be created. “Eco-entrepreneurship is a platform to advocate for environmental sustainability, reduce emissions and enhance employment, while addressing the triple-planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity and nature loss, as well as pollution and waste.”

Indalo Inclusive Symposium
Winners of the Indalopreneur Awards at the Symposium held in Pretoria.

Partnerships for sustainable successes

To unlock the potential of the green economy, strategic partnerships are key. Chairperson of the Nedbank Foundation Lance van Wyk said investors must recognise that investing in clean technologies and sustainable practices will inevitably lead to new opportunities for growth and expansion. This is particularly true for the global marketplace, where sustainability is an increasingly important factor in purchasing and investment decisions. 

Thabile Zulu of the Foundation added that entrepreneurs are the backbone of economic growth, especially in the context of an emerging green economy that is seeing an increasing demand for sustainable and environmentally-friendly solutions. SMMEs and the entrepreneurs behind them are agile, innovative and have a deep understanding of the challenges faced by their respective communities: “This makes them well-suited to navigate the challenges of emerging green economies, where the rules of the game are still being written.” 

Indalo Inclusive and its partners know that to win at this “game” and unlock the potential of the green economy, there needs to be a commitment to education, skills development and entrepreneurial support across the four main sectors of waste, energy, water and agriculture. 

Indalo Inclusive Symposium
Young eco-entrepreneurs pitch their enterprises at the Symposium.

Real-world impact for a better tomorrow

Diplomatic Representative for Flanders in Southern Africa, Dr Geraldine Reymenants, lauded the impact that Indalo Inclusive has had and the role the organisation has played in delivering on the objectives of climate change adaptation and the growth of the green economy, as set by the development cooperation programme between the Belgium region and South Africa. “Our journey with Indalo Inclusive began five years ago, in 2017, when it was set up as the national hosting partner of SEED in South Africa. And what a journey it has been!” 

She said that the past five years have seen Indalo Inclusive at the forefront of discussions about inclusive and green entrepreneurship in South Africa, and as a tireless driver of cooperation between multiple actors and stakeholders, including government, academia, civil society and business. “We have witnessed how Indalo Inclusive has built an increasingly impactful and sustainable platform where partnerships are formed and where entrepreneurs, donors and policymakers are able to engage, to share their stories, best practices, and lessons learned, with the crucial overall objective being to promote climate change adaptation, climate-smart entrepreneurship and a just transition to a green economy.” 

By bringing these stakeholders together, Indalo Inclusive has created a space where strategic partners are enabled and encouraged to tackle complex sustainability challenges and give effect to the vision of a green economy that will drive a just, inclusive transition powered by entrepreneurs, for entrepreneurs. 

This empowerment and inclusion is key. Director and founder of Indalo Inclusive, Rest Kanju, congratulated the organisation’s partners for the strides that have been made and the accomplishments achieved since the first symposium five years ago, but added that they cannot let success make them complacent. “We must never forget that the work we do is not about us; it’s about the entrepreneurs, our people, and their impact on the ecosystem, and about remembering that conservation and the pursuit for a green, low-carbon economy must be inclusive,” he explained. “And inclusivity means that people must be actively involved in these new value chains, not just as consumers but as suppliers of goods and services.” 

Meaningful engagement for intentional action

The two-day symposium allowed established and emerging eco-entrepreneurs the opportunity to share their experiences, insights, challenges and concerns directly with government stakeholders, policymakers and investors. The Green Indalopreneur Marketplace gave them the opportunity to network and pitch their enterprises to funders, donors and investors. 

Indalo Inclusive Symposium
Indalopreneur Awards (Nedbank Indalovator Enterprises).

Panel discussions dealt with issues such as SMME financing through an environment, social and governance (ESG) lens, which paved the way for round-table discussions that opened the conversation to all those in attendance. One of the key calls was for increased support for eco-entrepreneurs and SMMEs, especially when it comes to access to funding, training and mentorship to help small businesses scale up, both in terms of operations and impact. 

These conversations and the actions that follow make all the difference, said Devon Pillay, Head of Employment Strategy for the Presidential Climate Commission. “Very often, when people speak about the just transition, they are actually just speaking about a shift towards a low-carbon or net-zero economy, but these two things are not the same.” 

Indalo Inclusive Symposium
This enthusiastic young eco-entrepreneur certainly has the attention of his audience.

The latter, he said, is the outcome, while the former is the process that will help South Africa achieve that outcome. “A critical component of that process is engaging with workers and communities to ensure that they are not left behind, or are not left worse-off, as we move towards a new way of working. Events like this are critical to ensure that everyone is on board and that we are responding to the needs of those most affected by these changes.” And, of course, the needs of those, like the Indaolopreneurs, driving these changes in their own communities. 

This, says Kanju, is what inclusivity looks like in practice; when it stops being a buzzword and instead becomes a lived value. Indalo Inclusive succeeded in creating a space for robust debate and a platform for every participant to engage, ensuring that no voice went unheard. And ensuring that no voice goes unheard, said Kanju, is the first step in ensuring that no one is left behind as South Africa embarks on an inclusive, just transition to a green, more sustainable future for all.
— Jamaine Krige

Indalo Inclusive Symposium
Audience members take part in drumming at the Indalo Inclusive Symposium.