KZN Catchment Restoration Grant Fund
A pooled grant fund that pays to get restoration projects running and ready for later finance: delivery, preparation, baselines and monitoring.
Illustrative, no endorsement. This is not a real organisation and implies no endorsement or commitment by anyone. Modelled on DBSA Green Fund, WWF Nedbank Green Trust, DFFE Working for Water, the Lewis Foundation and SANBI-accessed climate funds, as described in the CSS work.
Profile
- Funding route
Grant (restoration finance facility route)
Illustrative profile
- Mandate
Fund delivery and preparation so that restoration projects become ready for outcome, beneficiary or carbon payments.
Sources: CSS, Jobs for Nature Financing Options report (final)
- Geography
KwaZulu-Natal, prioritising the uMngeni and uMkhomazi catchments and strategic water source areas.
Sources: CSS, Jobs for Nature Financing Options report (final); Strategic Water Source Areas (2017)
- Strategic priorities
Alien clearing and follow-up, wetland and river rehabilitation, baselines, monitoring, implementer capacity.
Sources: CSS, Jobs for Nature Financing Options report (final)
- Funding programmes
Two windows: technical assistance (feasibility, baselines, permits, monitoring design) and implementation (delivery, equipment, monitoring systems).
Sources: CSS, Jobs for Nature Financing Options report (final); CSS, Financing Options Workshop deck
- Typical funding mechanism
Grant, paid in tranches against milestones: approved plan, baseline assessment, hectares treated, workers trained.
Sources: CSS, Jobs for Nature Financing Options report (final)
- Ticket size
Illustrative R1m - R25m per project over 1 - 3 years. Real examples: WWF Nedbank Green Trust up to R3m; DBSA Green Fund up to R25m for preparation.
Sources: CSS, Jobs for Nature Financing Options report (final)
- Historical projects (examples)
uMngeni Water Balance (144 ha cleared); Sappi-WWF uMkhomazi (about 188 ha); Adaptation Fund Greater uMngeni programme (US$7.5m).
Sources: CSS, Jobs for Nature Financing Options report (final)
- Decision criteria
Strategic fit, environmental benefit, co-funding, scalability, sponsor capacity, data quality.
Sources: CSS, Jobs for Nature Financing Options report (final)
- Legal and regulatory constraints
Will not pay for wages already funded by the partner's main employment programme. Public money ring-fenced by source. Needs audited financials.
Sources: CSS, Jobs for Nature Financing Options report (final); Caveat Legal review for CSS
- Evidence requirements
Activities delivered against plan, expenditure report, site locations, photos. Low monitoring burden.
Sources: CSS, MRV SteerCo deck; CSS, Jobs for Nature Financing Options report (final)
- Budget cycle
Annual allocations and competitive calls.
Sources: CSS, Jobs for Nature Financing Options report (final)
Priorities
- Alien plant clearing and follow-up
- Wetland, river and spring rehabilitation
- River health monitoring
- Baselines and monitoring systems
- Implementer capacity
Answers used for matching
- Organisation type
- Public and philanthropic grant funder
- Sector
- Public or development fund
- Goals
- Restoration projects running and ready for later finance; Better baselines and monitoring
- Interests
- Alien plant clearing; Springs and wetlands; River health and water quality monitoring; Baselines and monitoring systems; Paid work for unemployed people
- Provinces
- KwaZulu-Natal
- Catchments
- uMngeni (U20), uMkhomazi (U10), uMlazi (U60), Mdloti / Tongati (U30), Mooi (V20)
- Funding routes
- Grant; Technical assistance grant
- Ticket size band
- R1m - R5m
- Timeframe
- 1 - 3 years
- Evidence it needs
- Work locations; Costs; Monitoring
Illustrative profile · KwaZulu-Natal catchments and strategic water source areas
Sources cited
- CSS, Jobs for Nature Financing Options report (final) · 30 Sep 2026, circulated 2 Oct 2026
- Strategic Water Source Areas (2017) · SANBI BGIS, queried 7 Oct 2026
- CSS, Financing Options Workshop deck · 4 Sep 2026
- Caveat Legal review for CSS · 27 Jul 2026. A design constraint, not legal advice.
- CSS, MRV SteerCo deck · 22-23 Sep 2026