GrandWest exhibits at Kirstenbosch Plant Fair

Grannies Green Nursery at Sun International's GrandWest Casino in Cape Town is the first casino in South Africa to become an indigenous fynbos exhibitor at the 39th annual Plant Fair held at the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden.

Kirstenbosch, together with the local branch of the Botanical Society, use the Plant Fair each year to showcase a wide range of indigenous plants to the public and to raise funds for their long-term cultivation and protection.

Since opening in May 2013, Grannies Green Nursery at GrandWest has rapidly expanded the range of indigenous fynbos propagated on the property, including plants on the endangered species list. The nursery offers over 40 fynbos species which is proving to be particularly popular with landscapers and locals alike.

Waste management

The nursery was launched as an environmental project to deal with the waste generated by two hotels, ten restaurants, a coffee shop, two lounges and a bar area all serving light meals, 14 fast food outlets and four custom snack shops, conference facilities and a staff canteen catering for approximately 3,316 people daily.

After successfully setting up a worm farm to provide compost for the property and the community, GrandWest made a decision to develop a nursery that could serve the dual purpose of protecting the Western Cape's floral heritage as well as create jobs in the community through an enterprise development project. Currently, two members of the community are being trained to run the nursery.