K2C Autumn ’25

~  Mokgale Maenetje

The Limpopo River is one of the major transboundary rivers that is affected by sedimentation in the SADC region. This poses a serious threat to the ecological well-being of our rivers. Addressing sedimentation in the Limpopo River is crucial and the responsibility falls on upstream communities which drive the rate of sedimentation through various land use activities.

To effectively manage sediment deposition in our rivers the following key strategies should be implemented from local to national level: 1. Monitoring and Assessment, 2. Sediment control measures, 3. Community engagement and education, 4. Policy and regulatory frameworks and 5. Research and development.

In March, catchment team members from the K2C participated in the capacity-building training program hosted by The Limpopo Watercourse Commission (LIMCOM).  Methods of monitoring sediment were tested along the Olifants and Blyde Rivers which allowed participants to gain valuable insights into monitoring and managing sedimentation’s impact on water quality, ecosystems and infrastructure.

The training was informative, engaging and provided a great opportunity to network with like minded professionals from other SADC countries. The workshop also gave a platform to give insights to colleagues from other countries into the sedimentation issues we are experiencing locally and solutions we plan to implement through the Catchment Investment Program.

FUNDERS/PARTNERS: The Limpopo Watercourse Commission (LIMCOM), Global Affairs Canada

~ Romy Antrobus-Wuth

The Blyderivierspoort Dam is a large dam that supplies water for a big area of irrigated agriculture downstream and the growing town of Hoedspruit. Outflows from the dam are also critical for maintaining flows of the Olifants River in the winter, which maintain a large mining industrial complex in Phalaborwa, maintain the mandated environmental flows for this river within the Kruger National Park and ensure that sufficient water reaches Mozambique via the transboundary Limpopo catchment. Until recently, the dam has been considered as low risk for sedimentation due to the relatively good condition of the Blyde River catchment which feeds the dam. This is reflected by the DWAS River Water Quality score for the Blyde River – it is one of the few rivers in the country which is still classified as Class 1 (Department of Water Affairs, South Africa, January 2013).

The Blyderivierspoort Dam has historically been considered low-risk for sedimentation, benefiting from the relatively intact conditions of the Blyde River catchment. Past surveys from 1974, 1977, and 1999 indicated minimal sedimentation, with the dam retaining over 98% of its original capacity as of 1999. However, the 2024/2025 survey conducted by South African Environmental Observation Network (SAEON), K2C and Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA), employing innovative sonar technology, paints a starkly different picture. The latest survey reveals that sediment accumulation has reduced the dam’s capacity by an alarming 20% since the last survey in 1999.

Survey pathway around the dam (left) and raster layer of water depths (right) from the sonar data collected in 2024.

Key contributors to the sediment surge include illegal mining operations, rotational felling of plantations in the upper catchment, and erosion from grazing lands and unpaved roads in local villages. An aerial survey conducted in 2024 identified more than 50 active illegal mining sites upstream – up from fewer than 10 in 2022 – highlighting the urgency of intervention. Accumulated sediment has become visibly evident, forming sandbars at river inlets and increasing water turbidity.

Sediment entering the dam from the Blyde River.

The implications of this sedimentation crisis are far-reaching. The dam supports irrigation for over 8,000 hectares of citrus and other crops, supplies water to the town of Hoedspruit and its nearby airforce base, and sustains ecological flows critical for biodiversity. Should sedimentation trends persist, the dam may struggle to meet these demands, with severe consequences for livelihoods, local economies, and ecosystems.

Protecting this crucial water resource will require collaboration across stakeholders, from government departments and conservation groups to local communities and land users. By investing in sustainable catchment management, we can preserve the Blyderivierspoort Dam’s capacity to serve current and future generations.

FUNDERS/PARTNERS: South African Environmental Observation Network (SAEON), Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA), UNESCO Resilient Project

~ Nicholas Theron

The Blyde Catchment is a vital water source, ensuring a year-round supply of clean water via the Blyde Dam to the towns of Hoedspruit and Phalaborwa, the Hoedspruit agricultural district, and industries around Phalaborwa. However, the catchment faces several threats to water security, with alien plant infestations in the upper catchment increasing each year. A striking example is Scotland Hill, a high-lying plateau in the Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve, where the density of alien trees (mostly pines) expanded from low levels to nearly 100% coverage in just two years.

Scotland Hill

The K2C Catchment Investment Programme is collaborating with partners to address the threat of invasive plants across the Blyde Catchment. To ensure efficiency and accountability to funders and investors, we are developing a five-year implementation plan. This plan will define clear strategies, prioritizing key areas for clearing, organizing follow-ups, assessing manpower and training needs, and outlining expected benefits in terms of water availability and biodiversity improvements.

More than just a document, this plan will directly guide implementation activities into 2025/2026, with secured funding to employ approximately 50 people to clear alien plants in the upper catchment. This initiative will play a crucial role in controlling invasive species and improving long-term water security for communities in the region.

Example of exponential increase in alien plants in the Blyde Catchment from September 2022 (left image) to October 2024 (right image) (SAEON)

Quick facts

Size of Blyde Catchment: 200 000 ha

Area with alien plants: 63 000 ha

Condensed area (assuming 100% density): 5 624 ha

Stream flow reduction (water lost per year): 16 million m³ and increasing

Capacity Blyde Dam: 47 million m³

FUNDERS/PARTNERS: The Nature Conservancy, Conservation South Africa, Nature4Water GoFund

~ Tony Swemmer (South African Environmental Observation Network)

Herding of cattle remains a challenge for many small-scale farmers in the lowveld. The cost of reliable, full-time herders is too high for many of these livestock owners and as a result, cattle are often left to roam freely through communal rangelands. This can have many negative consequences, including cattle theft and cattle straying onto the lands of neighbouring villages, or into nearby protected areas. The latter situation has become a serious problem for cattle farmers of Phalaubeni and Mbaula villages in Giyani in recent months, as the deterioration of the fence between these villages and Mthimkhulu Game Reserve has resulted in many cattle wandering into this reserve, or even further into the Kruger National Park.

Satellite trackers fitted to ear tags provide a potential way for small-scale cattle farmers to keep track of their cattle without having to hire full-time herders. However, the cost of these tags is currently prohibitive and it is not known how well they would work on cattle living under the hot, muddy, thorny conditions of lowveld rangelands. Testing their durability is therefore an important step before attempting to source donor funding to assist cattle farmers who wish to use them, or for motivating for mass production to bring prices down.

An opportunity to do such a test recently arose, following discussions between the Phalaubeni Nduna, the South African Environmental Observation Network (SAEON), the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) and CLS, an international provider of satellite products and services. CLS Southern Africa (the South African branch of CLS) are currently developing tags for tracking cattle and wildlife and as a result of their history of environmental research and conservation work in and around Mthimkhulu Game Reserve, SAEON and EWT became aware of the difficulties of managing cattle in the area. CLS kindly agreed to donate 6 tags and 6 months of satellite tracking services, for testing their utility in this harsh environment.

SAEON research assistant, Peace Nkuna (left), and Mike Daniel (CLS Southern Africa), assist Dr Fernando Prados (a wildlife veterinarian) to attach a satellite collar to one of the cattle chosen for the trial at Mbaula village.

In February this year, these were fitted to cattle from herds in both Phalaubeni and Mbaula, and a tracking app installed on the phones of the respective cattle owners. Dr Fernando Prados, a private veterinarian from Phalaborwa, kindly attached the tags at no cost. The tags appear to have been working well, sending hourly locations of the cattle (typically for 20 or more hours per day). These have enabled the owners to locate their cattle throughout the day, and bring them back to their kraals if they start wandering too far.

An example of the tracking data for one of the tagged cattle at Phalaubeni village, showing location records over a few days displayed on a smartphone app.

These results pave the way for CLS to produce more tags at lower cost, and for improved relations between cattle owners and their neighbours.

~ Hope Morema

As part of this study, the partners will actively engage with all relevant stakeholders, including municipal authorities, businesses, and local waste collectors. These engagements will play a crucial role in shaping the baseline and feasibility study by providing deeper insights into current practices, challenges, and opportunities for improvement.

Recently, a joint team from K2C and partners visited Thulamahashe to gain firsthand insight into current waste management practices. During the visit, the team engaged with the local waste coordinator to understand the municipal systems and ongoing waste management initiatives.

K2C visit to the Thulamahashe landfill site

The team also visited the landfill site in Thulamahashe, where they met with waste pickers / reclaimers and examined the new landfill site currently under construction. In addition, discussions were held with the center manager of Thulamahashe Mall to explore waste management strategies from a business perspective.

A key highlight of the study was a visit to a Buyback Center in Acornhoek and Thulamahashe, where the team observed waste collection processes and operational practices that contribute to local recycling efforts.

The team was also privileged to engage with the Bushbuckridge Local Municipality (BLM) waste manager and his colleagues for both Thulamahashe and Acornhoek to understand the magnificent work they are doing in managing waste. The team hopes to maintain continuous engagement with them to further enhance waste management initiatives in the region.

Understanding the local context, challenges and requirements is vital to the process.

These engagements have provided valuable insights into the state of waste management in the region. The findings from this baseline study will play a crucial role in shaping future initiatives aimed at initiating waste beneficiation and sustainability in Thulamahashe and Acornhoek.

Stay tuned for further updates on this important initiative as we work towards sustainable waste management solutions.

FUNDERS/PARTNERS: University of the Western Cape, Plastics SA, The MOSS Group, AQUILA Environmental.

~ Leon Reynolds & Angi Ellet

The TASC Foundation, a crucial partner within the Kruger to Canyons (K2C) and Vhembe Biospheres, is designed to empower local communities by funding projects that have a broader impact on community development through their Community Fund initiative. This innovative fund, supported by the proceeds from the sale of carbon credits generated by TASC’s Cookstove project, plays a key role in fostering sustainable development within these regions. By providing cleaner cooking solutions in rural areas, the project not only helps reduce carbon emissions but also generates income to sustain itself and fund the TASC Foundation, which channels resources into community-driven initiatives.

Born from the Community Fund, the Community-Based Small Grants call for proposals launched in November 2024 with its first round, inviting applications from a range of sectors within the K2C and Vhembe landscapes. These applications reflected the diverse potential of rural communities, with projects spanning various industries, from waste management and sustainable agriculture to community-driven crafts and logistics management. The goal is to support projects that can influence a larger segment of the community, rather than just a few individual business owners, in turn creating a bigger impact by strengthening local economies, promoting environmental stewardship, and improving the quality of life for community members.

After receiving many submissions, the TASC Steering Committee has carefully reviewed and shortlisted the most promising proposals. These projects will now be presented to the TASC board for final approval, after which, the selected projects will be implemented by K2C and Vhembe Biospheres as the primary implementation partners. These biospheres will play a crucial role in providing the necessary monitoring, evaluation, mentorship, and capacity building throughout the project cycle. The support provided will vary depending on the specific needs of each project, ensuring that every initiative receives the guidance it requires to succeed.

The TASC Small Grants initiative is more than just a financial contribution; it is a platform for nurturing sustainable development in the rural communities of our landscapes. By funding projects that address critical community needs and promote long-term environmental and economic resilience, the TASC Community Fund is helping to build a brighter, more sustainable and resilient future for all.

As the projects move forward, we look forward to seeing the positive changes they will bring to our communities and the broader region. The TASC Community Fund stands as a testament to the power of collaboration, innovation, and shared responsibility in shaping a more sustainable world.

FUNDERS/PARTNERS: TASC SA

~ David Mpebe and the Cookstove Monitoring teams

The Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Region Cookstove Monitors, through the assistance of Wild Impact’s Yes4Youth teams, implemented a series of community-based cookouts and screenings of the K2C’s “Our Waste and Our Sand” documentaries as well as Cookstove monitoring in the four clusters of the K2C landscape.

The teams, through the reporting from the Yes4Youth, were able to identify excessive and uncontrolled sand mining in some villages and identification of the progression and growth of illegal dumping sites, with new sites identified daily. The cookstove monitors, particularly in the Northwestern cluster, sought to conduct community meetings where screenings of the “Our Sand” and / or “Our Waste” documentaries were screened to community members of the Leboeng and Butswana villages. The screenings aimed to encourage community members to engage with these issues within their own communities and develop solutions to address these problems, and for the K2C Br to support them in achieving self-sufficiency.

In addition, cookstove monitoring as a method to identify and support community members in their cookstove usage journey, is continuing in all four clusters with a concentration on cookouts!

The Selwane, Namakgale, and Brooklyn communities were among the communities that have recently experienced cookouts. Cookouts are a tool to bring community members closer in a cooking showdown where community members cook the same food items with the cookstoves, and time, quality, taste, and wood usage are measured to compare efficiency. These public demonstrations not only showcased the effectiveness and efficiency of the cookstoves but also provided a valuable opportunity for direct interaction with community members.

Merging cookstove monitoring and environmental awareness enables much more learning and collaboration between different projects in the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Region and more focus on issues facing communities.

FUNDERS/PARTNERS: TASC and the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Region and Wild Impact.

 ~ Reshoketswe Mafogo

The initial project was to demonstrate resilience and adaptation to climate change by a single community in Phiring, through sustainable livelihoods. The programme now looks to replicate successfully tried, and sustainable efforts such as Agroecology, Rangeland management, and Savings Groups in the communities of Moremela and Ga-Boelang.

In the first quarter of 2025, we have held visioning sessions with the communities and have co-developed training plans with the stakeholders involved for agroecology, savings groups and rangeland management. Our teams have developed very detailed and timely workplans that speak to the work that will be done on the ground. We also have a team of reliable and capable, citizen science fieldworkers, in the form of youth from the respective communities, who will help us carry out our set goals and targets for the project.

Scaling for impact goes beyond expanding the reach of a successful initiative – it is about deepening the positive, sustainable change it brings to people, communities, and systems. By leveraging the lessons learned, innovations, and community-driven approaches from the demonstration project, we aim to amplify what works and adapt it to diverse contexts of Moremela and Ga-Boelang, whilst embedding into broader practices of the two communities. For us as a team, it is not merely replication, but it is a strategic process of transformation that ensures solutions are inclusive, resilient, and grounded in the lived realities of the communities we work with.

We look to not only change the lives of ordinary farmers, SMME’s, women, communities in general; but we look to achieving the organisational mission of partnering to achieve a sustainable, resilient future for all life in the K2C landscape.

FUNDERS: GAC project

In the heart of Maruleng Municipality, the London WasteBeneficiation Centre stands as a testament to what dedicated community action can achieve. This pilot initiative of K2C’s Pro Nature Livelihood Programme has transformed waste management into a powerful driver of both environmental sustainability and economic opportunity.

The journey reached a defining moment on the 30^th January 2025, when a fully loaded truck departed the centre carrying 47 bales of processed plastic waste, an impressive 9 tons in total, bound for recycling bulk centres in Johannesburg. This significant shipment represents months of dedicated collection, sorting, and bailing by the Gadifeli Waste Reclaimers at the London landfill site, now formally organised under the Gadifeli Trust.

The Gadifeli Waste Reclaimers

What was once discarded material destined for landfill has become a valuable resource flowing back into the manufacturing economy. The centre continues to process a diverse range of waste types, including PET clear, PET (clear, green, and brown), K4 (cardboard boxes), LDPE clear & mix, and HDPE clear & mix. This diversification enhances productivity and creates more economic opportunities for reclaimers. Each recyclable waste is meticulously sorted, weighed, recorded, baled, and tagged before storage. Accurate data management remains a cornerstone of the centre’s success. Data is captured digitally and manually using the Kobo Toolkit software for accuracy and reporting.

The beneficiation centre has a Memorandum of Agreement (MOU) between K2C and the Gadifeli Trust, outlining the terms of the partnership. Although the centre is currently operating at a municipality site without electricity, the Maruleng Municipality has permitted K2C to operate on-site, utilising existing facilities such as a waste shed.

Essential to production, support from The African Stove Company Foundation (TASC), the Centre received a capex grant for vital equipment, including a solar power system, storage container, thermal printer, and a balling machine. The Centre has applied for essential equipment support from PETCO, including PPE, trolleys, bale wires, pallet jack, and waste ton bags. Thus far, the Centre has received the pallet jack and the bale wires, significantly improving the operations on site. On the 17^th and 24^th March, the centre received 20 wood pallets from Taposa Business to protect paper waste from wet weather conditions. Additionally, the centre receives recyclable waste from the monthly Hoedspruit Farmers Market.

Plastic bales can now be moved using a jack lift supplied by PETCO.

Plastic bales sold and delivered to bulk recycling centres in Joburg

K2C remains committed to supporting the Gadifeli Trust, ensuring operational accountability and Reclaimers’ capacity-building opportunities. Transparency and good governance remain priorities for the project. A financial feedback meeting held on the 17^th February 2025, provided reclaimers with detailed insights into financial statements, operational reviews, and profit-sharing mechanisms. The Gadifeli Trustees have taken leadership roles in discussions, ensuring responsible governance. On 10^th  March 2025, the Reclaimers received awareness of a financially sustainable mechanism embedded in governance called Eco-Credit and Savings Groups.

Looking ahead, the centre aims to expand the range of waste materials accepted, explore more partnerships with local reserves and communities for waste collection, and document learnings. The success of the London Waste Beneficiation Centre is made possible through the unwavering support and collaboration with key partners: the Gadifeli Trust reclaimers, TASC Foundation, PETCO and ExtruPET, Taposa Business, Hoedspruit Farmers Market (recycling drop off), and the Maruleng Local Municipality.

Through collaborations, the centre is paving the way for a more sustainable future, one bale at a time!

FUNDERS/PARTNERS:  Gadifeli trust reclaimers, TASC Foundation, Maruleng Municipality, Taposa business, PETCO, Skip Go Hoedspruit, and the Hoedspruit Farmers Market

The K2C Pro-Nature Livelihood Team recently hosted its first cattle sale, bringing together livestock farmers from Malaeneng and Phiring at the Phiring dip tank. This milestone event marked a significant step towards empowering local farmers through market access and promoting sustainable livelihoods.

A Successful Partnership

The cattle sale was organized in partnership with Mr. Kobus Steyn, a buyer who has been working closely with the K2C team for many years. The sale saw 16 cattle sold, generating a total amount of R102,300 that was retained within the local community.

Cattle buyer

Cattle owners register at the Cattle Sale

Benefits for Local Farmers

The cattle sale provided a much-needed platform for local farmers to access markets and generate income. By selling their cattle, farmers were able to reap the benefits of their hard work and invest in their livelihoods. The event also fostered a sense of community and cooperation among farmers, who were able to share knowledge and experiences.

K2C’s Commitment to Sustainable Livelihoods

The K2C Pro-Nature Livelihood Team is committed to supporting sustainable livelihoods in the region. Through initiatives like the cattle sale, we aim to empower local farmers, promote economic growth, and conserve natural resources. Our team works closely with farmers, communities, and partners to develop innovative solutions that benefit both people and the environment.

16 cattle were sold, with farmers reaping the benefits directly.

Looking Ahead

The success of the cattle sale has paved the way for future initiatives that support local farmers and promote sustainable livelihoods. We look forward to continuing our work with farmers, communities, and partners to build a more prosperous and environmentally conscious region.