There is no doubt that South Africa faces serious environmental and climate risks but often the severity or urgency of the problem doesn’t quite hit home.
The poorest communities, many of whom are already faced with dire circumstances such as no access to clean water, will suffer the brunt of inaction. And so, to bring home just how pressing the situation is, Nedbank asked an artificial intelligence (AI) platform to imagine what South Africa would look like in 2100 if we do not meet the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
The outcome is, frankly, terrifying. Severe water shortages, economic instability, a deeply unbalanced ecosystem and ruin. However, there is method to the madness of invoking such a bleak future.
The activity, part of Nedbank’s Purpose Storytelling initiative, is an explicit call to action. We haven’t yet missed the UN Sustainable Development Goals. We may not be tracking exceedingly well, but if we take urgent, collective action and meet the goals, the future imagined is vastly different: A vibrant country with water and food security, abundant renewable electricity and economic inclusion that fosters education excellence and innovation.
We are at that point in history where action, or inaction, puts us on a path to one of those two futures.
Water, wealth, wisdom
Sustainability has been part of Nedbank’s DNA for decades, it is fundamental to what we do, how we innovate, how we envisage financing and how we partner because of one simple truth: A sustainable bank needs a sustainable Africa, a sustainable economy needs a sustainable country. Our futures are intricately intertwined with the myriad ecological systems that breathe life into our existence.
At this juncture, it is important to reframe the UN Sustainable Development Goals not just as targets, but as survival, and ultimately, as a prosperity framework.
At our recent Purpose Storytelling Launch in Bryanston, one of the panellists suggested that while the future may well see water become akin to a currency, in many ways it already is in South Africa. Our water infrastructure is crippling, and a history of skewed development means many communities are already experiencing systemic collapse.
At the bank, we understand that the challenge ahead is no small task. As such, we are passionate that systemic transformation requires local innovation. This is simply not possible without genuine, purpose-driven partnerships that enable community-driven solutions which are far more effective than top-down approaches.
Beyond green rhetoric
Experience has shown that a deep understanding of local context, and tapping into local expertise and knowledge, is critical to sustainable innovation.
Nedbank’s Head of Sustainability Brigitte Burnett told delegates that the bank passionately believes that partnerships between financial institutions, communities and environmental organisations are an essential cog in the giant wheel of achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and realising the bright, hopeful future.
This all sounds great. But it is important that commitment to sustainability extends beyond rhetoric. At Nedbank we hold ourselves accountable to action, with significant investments in transformative initiatives that address critical environmental and social challenges.
Two key projects – Kusini Water and the uMzimvubu Catchment Partnership Programme (UCPP) – are a direct result of a deliberate decision to take a hands-on approach to building the future we want to see.
As already mentioned, water scarcity threatens not only the lives of millions of people currently, but presents a nightmarish future as envisioned by AI’s 2100 model. This is precisely why Nedbank has supported Kusini Water, which is revolutionising water access through cutting-edge technology and community-driven solutions.
Clean water catalysts
Founded by Murendeni Mafumo, Kusini Water provides sustainable, safe water to underserved communities. Through support from the bank, the organisation has been able to expand its reach, deploying solar-powered filtration systems that harness nanotechnology to purify water efficiently and sustainably. Mafumo told delegates at the Purpose Storytelling launch that one of the most exciting spinoffs of clean, running water is the economic activity that follows.
The project has already produced 1,508 kilolitres of water, supported over 80 enterprises, and upskilled 200 individuals, creating employment opportunities. This is precisely how localised interventions build long-term sustainability.
Sven Teske and Saori Miyake 30 Jun 2025 Another delegate at the launch, Samir Randera-Rees of Nedbank Green Trust and WWF SA, which has a long-standing partnership with Nedbank, said securing water access is critical, but protecting natural water sources is equally important. He spoke about the UCPP, which in collaboration with WWF and local stakeholders, is working to restore one of South Africa’s most vital river systems.
The degradation of water catchment areas threatens both biodiversity and community livelihoods. By restoring ecosystems and promoting sustainable land management, we have the opportunity to safeguard water security for local communities and downstream economies.
Collaboration creates change
With Nedbank’s investment in this initiative, degraded landscapes in the Eastern Cape are being restored, improving water quality, enhancing biodiversity, and securing livelihoods for local communities.
The programme has successfully protected 45 natural springs, supplying clean and reliable water to over 42,000 people, while integrating sustainable farming and rangeland management practices to create economic opportunities.
As important as these initiatives are, they are but a drop in the ocean. This is a clarion call to other corporates, other stakeholders and individuals to join in the efforts of achieving the UN’s goals.
The task at hand may seem gargantuan. It certainly is not easy or quick, but there is no way around it: we have to act now. We can start imperfectly, as Mafumo said at the launch, but it is important that everyone who hasn’t yet started join us and do so now.
Nedbank’s YouthX Top 10 winner Ngangelizwe Mathunjwa, founder of Aero Greens, an agritech startup using sustainable, soil-less vertical farming to reduce water use, encouraged delegates at the launch to find people who share the same vision. His call was to focus on solving real problems for real people.
As a bank, we appreciate the importance of developing financial literacy in all the communities we serve, and to continue partnering with purpose-driven organisations to create collaborative, and innovative funding models that can drive real change.
Sustainability is not a distant goal, but an urgent, collaborative redesign of how we interact with our environment and each other. We have not missed the goals - but we must act now to ensure that South Africa in 2100 is a place in which we want our children and grandchildren to live.
