Amazon has announced a major investment in South Africa’s green economy by committing to purchase 1.95 million tonnes of carbon removal credits from a large-scale ecological restoration project in the Eastern Cape, a move expected to generate thousands of jobs while helping restore one of the country’s most endangered ecosystems.
The long-term agreement underpins the World Bank’s Spekboom Outcome Bond, providing financial certainty for one of South Africa’s largest nature-based carbon removal initiatives. The project aims to restore the Albany Thicket, a unique and heavily degraded ecosystem found primarily in the Eastern Cape, through the large-scale planting of indigenous spekboom shrubs.
Amazon’s commitment gives investors confidence that there will be a future market for the carbon credits generated by the project, helping unlock funding for long-term environmental restoration. The credits are expected to meet internationally recognised standards for nature-based carbon removal, including ABACUS and Climate, Community and Biodiversity (CCB) certification.
The first phase of the initiative began in April 2024, with approximately 30 million spekboom cuttings planted across 10,000 hectares. The project is now set to expand significantly, with the ambitious target of planting around 180 million spekboom shrubs by 2028 and restoring more than 50,000 hectares of degraded land.
Amazon Chief Sustainability Officer Kara Hurst described the initiative as a model for combining environmental conservation with economic development.
“This is a story about nature, community, ingenuity and scale,” Hurst said. “Spekboom is a natural wonder, but it can’t heal the land without help from the people who call the Eastern Cape home. This project will restore the ecosystem, create jobs and demonstrate how nature-based solutions can drive both climate action and economic opportunity.”
Often referred to as a “carbon sponge,” spekboom is well suited to the Eastern Cape’s semi-arid climate and can be propagated using simple stem cuttings, making it ideal for large-scale restoration. As it grows, the indigenous succulent captures carbon dioxide from the atmosphere while improving soil quality, retaining moisture and creating conditions that allow native vegetation to recover naturally.
The restoration is also expected to strengthen biodiversity across the region. The Albany Thicket supports at least 165 documented plant and animal species, many of which are considered vulnerable, making its rehabilitation critical for long-term conservation efforts.
Beyond its environmental impact, the initiative is expected to deliver substantial economic benefits to surrounding communities. By 2030, the project is projected to create approximately 11,000 jobs while injecting more than US$500 million into local economies through wages, procurement opportunities, landowner compensation and community development programmes.
The investment comes as global demand for high-quality carbon credits continues to grow, with companies increasingly turning to verified nature-based solutions to help meet their climate commitments. For South Africa, the project highlights how ecological restoration can simultaneously address climate change, biodiversity loss and rural economic development, positioning the country as a key player in the expanding global carbon market.