“We are only just getting started”
“The finance team has worked very hard and it isn’t easy to secure a Section 18A tax status with SARS, but we needed it, we’ve got it, and I’m delighted.” So says Iain Banner, Founder and Chairman of Go Green Africa (GGA), the South African non-profit organisation launched during the inaugural Cape Town E-Prix in 2023.
Since then, GGA has advocated for the green economy transformation within Africa through conferences, such as Africa’s Green Economy Summit and Carbon Markets Africa Summit, dedicated partnerships, projects and education, working with experts, funders and change-makers, including Siemens, Uber, the Western Cape Government, Eskom and Kudos.
GGA was recently awarded Section 18A tax status in South Africa. “The reason that is significant,” Banner explains, “is that it allows corporates to participate with us and to benefit from a tax deduction for the monies that it contributes towards helping Go Green Africa and its activities of pushing the green agenda. It’s very important.”
Polluters and solutions on board
According to Banner, highlights of the GGA journey so far have included securing partnerships with the likes of Eskom, Uber “and Siemens, who have verbally agreed to come on board—it was pending our Section 18A status that’s now been secured. We also have one of the big four banks in South Africa joining us. And there will be many more that come alongside us.”
He adds: “And we want both polluters and solutions. We’ve had deep discussions with Sasol, and I’m hoping that they’ll be with us too. So when people say, oh, you can’t take on the polluters, ‘well, why not?’ is my question to them; because until you have them inside the tent, how can you possibly help to influence outcomes going forward?”
Green vs black economy
The Go Green Africa Chairman says it would be wrong to “push hard for the green economy without recognising the fundamentally important role that traditional energy sources have played and continue to play in the future of the growth of the world. For us, and for me in particular, green sits very much as the clean alternative.”
Banner continues: “It needs to be economically viable in order to be adopted. We are working very hard to help showcase technologies that allow for production in a green manner and that is starting to bear fruits around the world. But we are really at the beginning of a journey. And the notion that green will completely replace the black economy is misplaced in my view. It will always have a role.”
[Read or watch the full interview with Iain Banner here.]
About Go Green Africa
Go Green Africa is part of the Green Economy Portfolio in partnership with VUKA Group, which has more than 20 years’ experience in serving the business community across Africa.
Upcoming events:
Carbon Markets Africa Summit: 21–23 October 2025, Johannesburg, South Africa
Africa’s Green Economy Summit: 24–27 February 2026, Cape Town, South Africa
Go Green Africa website: https://www.go-green-africa.com/
Contact details:
Tailor-made partnerships: Errol Bryce
Cell: +27 83 613 4578
Email: errol.bryce@wearevuka.com
Project Lead: Emmanuelle Nicholls
Cell: +27 83 447 8410
Email: emmanuelle.nicholls@wearevuka.com
