The Mpumalanga Green Cluster Agency has officially been launched by MEC PV Mkhatshwa, MEC for Finance, Economic Development and Tourism in Mpumalanga at a gala dinner hosted during the Mpumalanga Energy Summit on 24 May 2022.

MEC PV Mkhatshwa

“Mpumalanga is the energy centre of South Africa and has been for 100 years. Along with an incredible inheritance of mineral resources, Mpumalanga also has extremely rich solar and wind resources. As technology has moved, it is now becoming possible to convert these wind and solar resources into energy and value for the region,” said MEC Mkhatshwa. “Clusters like the Mpumalanga Green Cluster are used to try and boost regional and local economic competitiveness. Such competitiveness will help companies in Mpumalanga export more, find global partners and apply the solutions developed here in Mpumalanga on a global scale. These sorts of structures and partnerships are a way to try and ensure the best aspects of Government, Business and Academia can be applied toward development that unlocks jobs and investment,” he added.

The newly established Mpumalanga Green Cluster Agency has published a series of market intelligence opportunity briefs outlining current opportunities for investors, aligned to supporting the growth of a green economy for the Province. The Mpumalanga Green Cluster Agency’s primary focus is on unlocking and unblocking economic opportunities in the green economy, with the aim of making a contribution to regional economic diversification and job creation efforts. This also includes a focus on Carbon capture and storage, hydrogen, and clean aviation fuel.

The cluster is already working to build the foundation for an ecosystem of competitiveness in Water, Energy, Sustainable Agriculture (Climate Smart) and the Circular Economy. The published opportunity briefs (Water, Renewable Energy and Sustainable Agriculture) provide an overview of the market within each sector, including key developments and achievements, the key players, legislation and regulation, market opportunities and challenges, and funding opportunities. These reports are available to download for free from https://mpumalangagreencluster.co.za/.

“We work both at the micro and macro level supporting green-tech SMMEs build their businesses, enabling bigger businesses to improve their environmental footprint, and assisting the provincial government to create the right environment for a more resilient green economy. Ultimately, we want to help facilitate more investment and stimulate job creation into Mpumalanga’s green economy,” said Mr Nkosinathi Nkonyane, interim Cluster Executive Official (CEO).

“The market opportunity briefs are part of a series of first-of-its-kind reports that highlight green economy investment opportunities in the green economy in Mpumalanga. It is written for investors who want to understand the opportunities for investment and job creation in green economy sectors in the province,”

he added.

The Mpumalanga Green Cluster Agency is a not-for-profit organisation registered in South Africa. The Cluster uses the triple helix cluster model with representation from Government, Industry, and Academia as part of its design setup. “Mpumalanga has the potential to be a world-leading region in creating decent, green jobs by creating the enabling environment for new investments in low carbon growth. The Mpumalanga Cluster Agency works at the interface between business, government, and academia in order to identify and remove barriers to an economically viable green economy catalysing their uptake to enable the region and its citizens to prosper,” said Dr Thembakazi Mali, Sasol Senior Vice President for Research and Technology, and the Mpumalanga Green Cluster Board Chairperson.