Climate Adaptation in South Africa

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Agriculture is the backbone of most African countries and climate change is having severe impacts. Climate adaptation is needed to build resilience to the impacts that are already evident and projected to become increasingly present. Investments in adaptation can help to save lives, protect livelihoods and contribute to sustained economic development. To adapt to climate change, it is estimated that developing countries will require annual investments of at least USD 215 billion.

As a result of global warming, extreme weather is taking on new forms, and in recent years, hailstorms have posed an increasing threat to South African agriculture. Higher temperatures combined with increased moisture in the atmosphere create ideal conditions for the formation of large hail, which can cause damage to property, vehicles, and people. In South Africa, significant harvests have been completely destroyed by unpredictable hailstorms. 

ANB has investing in nets that effectively protect crops from extreme weather such as hail, heat, wind, and strong sunlight. 

Norfund has invested $10 million USD in The ANB Group, a South African fruit company that produces and distributes citrus and tropical fruits to markets in Europe, Asia, and North America. The ANB Group is a vertically integrated fruit company that serves the complete value chain from its base in South Africa, producing and distributing citrus and tropical fruits to markets in Europe, Asia, and North America. Climate change affects the production of these fruits, and in South Africa, significant harvests have in the past been destroyed by for example, hailstorms.

Investments in climate adaptation creates jobs in South African agriculture, and Norfund’s investment in ANB has enabled the erecting of hail nets which protect crops from extreme weather, increasing ANB’s resilience to climate change, and the creation of new jobs that can help combat poverty in rural South Africa.