Restoring Albany Subtropical Thicket, in the Eastern Cape.
Two farms in the Eastern Cape restoring Albany Subtropical Thicket, with the vision of an elephant and rhino sanctuary.
How we make an impact in Pearston.
No Poverty
EcoPlanet creates sustained employment in South Africa’s Eastern Cape, a province facing the country’s highest unemployment rate and significant levels of economic hardship. Our workers are paid in accordance with labor legislation and above applicable poverty thresholds, providing reliable incomes that help families meet essential needs, reduce financial vulnerability and build greater stability. By prioritizing local recruitment, our projects ensure that the economic benefits of restoration reach local communities first.
Zero Hunger
EcoPlanet has established household gardens, vegetable growhouses and worker gardens while also supporting local soup kitchens and nonprofit organizations in Pearston and on our farms on Sand River and Hilton. These initiatives enable residents to grow their own food and create a new local source of fresh, nutritious vegetables. Produce harvested from EcoPlanet’s gardens is distributed to our workers first, with surplus vegetables regularly donated to local schools and soup kitchens, helping extend the benefits to vulnerable children and households across the community.
Good Health and Well-Being
In 2025, EcoPlanet supported the expansion of healthcare facilities in Pearston, increasing the local clinic’s capacity to deliver essential services five days a week. We also installed a shaded waiting area, providing patients with a safer and more comfortable space protected from the sun and other weather conditions while awaiting care.
Quality Education
EcoPlanet supports learning and skills development across generations in Pearston. Community members have received scholarships and access to technical and vocational training in areas such as beekeeping, welding, electrical work, nature guiding and landscaping, equipping them with practical skills and expanding their opportunities for employment and entrepreneurship. We also support local schools through hands-on environmental education. At Lukhanyiso Primary School, learners develop practical skills in vegetable gardening, organic waste reuse and worm tea production using an on-site growhouse provided by EcoPlanet. Teachers have received a practical toolkit to support lessons in the growhouse, helping embed climate awareness and sustainable food production into ongoing learning.
Gender Equality
EcoPlanet actively promotes the inclusion and advancement of women across our workforce and leadership teams. Women currently represent 48% of the team, supporting our operational implementation and management functions in South Africa.
Clean Water and Sanitation
EcoPlanet is restoring degraded landscapes with spekboom, helping to rebuild soil structure, reduce surface runoff and improve water infiltration over time. We have also supported Lukhanyiso Primary School by installing rainwater-harvesting systems and repairing water pipelines, helping ensure that learners and staff have reliable access to water throughout the year.
Decent Work and Economic Growth
EcoPlanet is committed to creating safe, fair and supportive employment. Every worker receives health and safety training, appropriate protective equipment and clear guidance on workplace rights, enabling our people to work with confidence while restoring degraded landscapes. Beyond our operations, we have supported the development of local micro-bakeries through practical skills training, essential infrastructure and start-up raw materials, helping community members establish locally owned enterprises, generate income and contribute to the local economy.
Sustainable Cities and Communities
EcoPlanet is improving access to shared recreational spaces for the Pearston community. In 2026, we supported a local primary school in preparing a soccer field, creating more opportunities for learners to participate in sport during the school week and enjoy organized activities on weekends. The field provides a valuable space for exercise, teamwork and community connection.
Responsible Consumption and Production
EcoPlanet partners with organizations in East London and Pearston to divert organic waste from landfill and recover its value through composting, black soldier fly production and vermiculture on our farms. These processes transform waste into compost, frass and worm tea that can be returned to degraded soils and used in our nurseries and fields. This circular approach reduces waste while creating valuable resources for healthier soils and landscape restoration.
Climate Action
EcoPlanet is restoring degraded Albany Thicket near Pearston by planting spekboom, a resilient indigenous species that captures and stores carbon as it grows. Restoring the vegetation cover will improve soil condition, reduce erosion and strengthen the landscape’s ability to withstand drought and other climate-related pressures. Alongside restoration, we build climate awareness among workers and local learners, connecting practical action on the ground with a deeper understanding of climate change.
Life on Land
EcoPlanet is restoring degraded Albany Thicket while protecting the rare, threatened and endangered species found across our project sites. Wildlife is able to move freely across the farms as part of the wider ecosystem, helping maintain natural ecological connections. We have also established a succulent nursery to propagate indigenous plants for legal local sale, providing a cultivated alternative that can help reduce pressure from the illegal collection and trade of Eastern Cape succulents. In partnership with the Blue Crane Route Municipality, we are further supporting ecosystem management through the responsible removal of encroaching trees from municipal road reserves.
Partnerships for the Goals
Partnerships are fundamental to the success and long-term impact of our work in Pearston. We collaborate with Volkswagen ClimatePartner and the Blue Crane Route Municipality, combining private-sector support with local government reach to create tangible impact.
Eastern Cape Restoration Project, Somerset East.
Overgrazed farmland restored with densely planted native spekboom, rebuilding vegetation, stabilizing soils and storing carbon, with riparian corridors replanted in indigenous species. Registered with Verra as VCS 3628 and open for forward offtake.
Project Details →