Financing for sustainable development and green growth requires a rethink of production and consumption patterns globally. More importantly it is an inherent call to all those financing development, both the public and private sector, to use this channel of influence to innovatively direct finance for sustainable growth and the inclusion of stakeholders that are key to implementation such as women and youth.

2. Presentation Outline
• Finance Context
• Opportunities for Women & Youth in Green Economy
• Green Funding Investments for Women & Youth

3. Context
• According to Census 2011, SA population is 51,7 million people of
which 58.5% are under the age of 35years (YOUTH)
• SA has one of the youngest population in the world at an average of
24yrs (STANLIB)
• 73,5% of youth (of the 28,9%) is attending an educational institution
• Young women (18-24yrs) taking up productive jobs are still limited
because of poor advice, lack of training & insufficient support
structures
• This is both a resource (if vibrant, well-educated) and a threat (if
discouraged, poorly-educated)
• IDC & HSRC research estimates that the green economy can generate
higher sustainable jobs than some of the traditional sectors.
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4. Finance Context
 Business Case-
 Women make up more than 50% of SA population yet has an
unemployment rate of almost 30%
 Women are mostly employed in the informal sector (casual
wage)- this is also the most entrepreneurial sector
 However access to information, networks & finance is not
well organised
 This picture is changing with government intervention &
programmes
 Finance Access
 Government has put in place a number of initiatives to
prioritise women participation in the economy across all
sectors (ICT, construction, aviation, management)
 Uptake & implementation has been poor
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5. Opportunities for Women
• SA’s Green Economy Strategy identifies the following sectors
to transition its economy:
 Green buildings & built environment
 Sustainable Transport & Infrastructure
 Clean energy & energy efficiency
 Resource conservation & management
 Sustainable waste management practices
 Agriculture, food production & forestry
 Water Management
 Sustainable consumption & Production
• In addition- cross cutting sectors like Research, Awareness &
Skills development
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6. 6
Jobs in Waste

7. 7
Sustainable Farming

8. 8
Biomass To Energy

9. 9
Involving Youth in Waste Projects

10. 10
Conservation- SA West Coast

11. Opportunities for the Youth
 Innovation through technology advancement (communication,
procurement, better access to markets)
 Opportunity to be entrepreneurial
 Continuous training & skilling in the green economy sectors
 Better organised to access resources, influence and to
advocate for resources
 Packaging of information/knowledge management to influence
policy/decision-makers, business models to benefit women
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12. THANK YOU
Michelle Layte
Green Fund- Secretariat & Policy Advisory Manager
Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA)
+27 11 313 5237 (office)
Michellel2@dbsa.org (email)
www.sagreenfund.org.za

13. Michelle Layte
Green Fund- Secretariat & Policy Advisory Manager
Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA)
+27 11 313 5237 (office)
Email: Michellel2@dbsa.org
Website: www.sagreenfund.org.za