IKI Growing Greener Project Officially Launched in Namaqualand
18 August 2025
The IKI Growing Greener Project was officially launched on 5 August 2025 at Springbok Guest Farm in the Northern Cape, bringing together key stakeholders committed to restoring and sustainably managing agro-pastoral systems across Southern Africa’s drylands.
The event opened with an introduction by Dr. Misheck Musokwa, Landscape Management Senior Technical Advisor for the IKI Growing Greener Project (South African Component). Dr Musokwa outlined the project’s regional implementation and its key objectives, focused on building sustainable and climate-resilient land-use practices in arid regions.
© The Centre for Coordination of Agriculture Research and Development (CCARDESA ) / Bridget Kakuwa
This was followed by a presentation on the IKI gender perspective from Mr. Zane Silinda, Technical Advisor – which highlighted the critical importance of gender inclusion in advancing equitable and effective climate resilience strategies.
In her closing remarks, Ms. Sandile Felicity Maseko, Component Manager for the Climate Support Programme (CSP), reflected on the importance of aligning the Growing Greener Project with South Africa’s White Paper on Local Government, which highlights the importance of climate action at the local level. She noted that such alignment is essential to ensuring the project improves the livelihoods of farmers while promoting long-term climate resilience.
© The Centre for Coordination of Agriculture Research and Development (CCARDESA ) / Bridget Kakuwa
The project was officially launched with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, a symbolic start led by representatives from the Namakwa District Municipality, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, Conservation South Africa, and the Department of Agriculture (DoA).
© The Centre for Coordination of Agriculture Research and Development (CCARDESA ) / Bridget Kakuwa
The afternoon concluded with the first National Steering Committee meeting, where participants reviewed and refined the project’s Terms of Reference (ToRs) to ensure inclusive and effective project governance.
Field Visit: Building Resilience from the Ground Up
On 6 August 2025, the project continued with a field visit to Namaqualand, hosted by Mrs. Ounooi Gertse. The visit offered participants a direct view of the realities of rangeland management and community-led adaptation in dryland areas.
Challenges observed during the visit included:
- Increasing land degradation
- Limited water availability
- Pressure from climate change on traditional grazing systems
Despite these challenges, the visit also highlighted innovative local responses. Mrs. Gertse shared the success of introducing speckled goats and Meatmaster sheep, livestock breeds well suited to dryland conditions, both for their resilience to climate stress and their value in meat production.
© GIZ / Tyesha Pillay
As Dr. Musokwa noted: “This is a livelihoods project that’s embedding conservation – putting people at the center while protecting the land they depend on.”
Partners and Participating Institutions
The launch brought together a wide range of partners and stakeholders dedicated to the project’s success:
Project Partners:
- Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
- Conservation South Africa
- Peace Parks Foundation
- Centre for Coordination of Agricultural Research and Development for Southern Africa (CCARDESA)
Participating Government Institutions and Municipalities:
- German Embassy
- Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE)
- Department of Agriculture
- Northern Cape Department of Agriculture, Environmental Affairs, Rural Development and Land Reform
- Namakwa District Municipality
- Kamiesberg Local Municipality
- Namakhoi Local Municipality
This project is commissioned by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUKN) through the International Climate Initiative (IKI).
