Craft Homes’ Riverstone Wetland Estate in Fourways has secured preliminary Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies (Edge) certification from the Green Building Council South Africa, placing it among a handful of South African residential developments to achieve the milestone.
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The certification recognises projected reductions in energy consumption, water use and the embodied energy of building materials, with energy savings expected to exceed 37%. Set alongside rehabilitated wetlands in Magaliessig, the development demonstrates how residential projects can combine environmental considerations with measurable efficiency gains, while potentially unlocking financial benefits for qualifying homebuyers.
The certification comes just days after Craft Homes was named a winner in five categories at this year's International Property Awards, with Riverstone recognised specifically for sustainability alongside sister developments Iconic Melrose (design and architecture) and Bryanston Country Estate (marketing).
Edge is an innovation of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group that focuses on supporting private-sector development in emerging markets.
It combines an online platform, a green building standard and a certification system used in more than 170 countries to provide a measurable, financially credible case for sustainable construction and help mainstream green building globally. To qualify, developments must demonstrate at least 20% reductions in energy consumption, water use and embodied energy in building materials compared with a local building standard.
Riverstone comfortably clears that threshold across all three categories: projected savings of 37.54% on energy, 20.76% on water and 36.07% on embodied energy in materials. Final certification will follow on completion of the entire development.
Reinier van Loggerenberg, chief executive officer of Craft Homes, says: "Riverstone was built around the idea that you don't have to choose between a beautiful, liveable estate and a genuinely sustainable one. Getting the Edge numbers independently audited and approved is proof that the wetland-first design decisions we made on paper actually hold up in practice. This is the discipline of building around a wetland rather than simply building near one and having the certification body confirm it."
He adds, “The International Property Awards judges recognised Riverstone for sustainability, and this certification is really the technical backbone of that story. It's also validation for a much bigger team than ours — the auditors, the engineers, the architects — who had to solve problems most residential projects in Gauteng never have to think about. We're proud to be able to point to a number now, not just an intention.”
Sustainable living benefits
Located 500m from Montecasino and Fourways Mall, Riverstone Wetland Estate comprises 12 apartment blocks and 275 units across seven typologies, from studios to two-bedroom apartments. The development is designed to preserve the rehabilitated wetland and make it a recreational amenity for residents.
The development sold 60% of its Phase 1 units over its launch weekend. Features include 24-hour security, fibre connectivity, metered water, solar backup power systems, energy-efficient lighting, low-flow water fixtures and onsite renewable energy. The solar systems are designed to support the efficiency measures assessed under the Edge audit.
Riverstone's Edge certification also unlocks direct financial benefits for buyers financing their purchase through South Africa's major banks. Absa offers an interest-rate reduction of 0.25% for Level 1 Edge certification, along with a rebate of up to R56,000 on registration and submission of the final certificate.
All banks offer a 0.25-percentage-point reduction in the interest rate for new and existing clients. In addition, Nedbank offers first-time buyers 103% loan-to-value bonds and up to 50% off bond-registration fees. First National Bank offers cashback of up to R55,000 on qualifying purchases below R2m, while Standard Bank offers a rebate of up to R55,000 for properties in developments purchased directly from the developer before 31 January 2028.
Occupation at Riverstone Wetland Estate is progressing in phases: Phase 1 has already been occupied, with Phase 2 estimated for occupation this year, Phase 3 in April 2027 and Phase 4 in July 2027. Bond and transfer costs are included if secured by Craft Homes' mortgage-origination team within 30 days of reservation.
The development is on show every weekend from noon to 5pm at 14 Daniel Road, Magaliessig, Fourways.
