Thousands of jobs are expected to come from one of the world’s largest nature-based carbon removal projects as Amazon’s investment in restoring South Africa’s Eastern Cape shifts from an environmental initiative to a major economic boost. The e-commerce giant’s commitment to buying carbon credits is projected to create about 11,000 jobs by 2030 in one of the country’s poorest regions. It will also help train local businesses in ecological restoration and direct more than $500 million into surrounding communities through wages, procurement, landowner payments and other local investments.
The jobs are linked to the restoration of the Albany thicket, a 1.7 million-hectare ecosystem that has been more than 80% degraded by decades of overgrazing. Amazon has agreed to purchase 1.95 million tonnes of carbon removal credits generated by the project over more than a decade. That long-term commitment gave the World Bank the confidence to launch the Spekboom Restoration Outcome Bond, raising $120 million from institutional investors to finance the programme. The bond, which matures in 2040, is the World Bank’s longest-dated outcome bond so far. Investor returns will depend partly on how successfully the restoration project, and the jobs it creates, are delivered.
At the heart of the project is spekboom, a resilient native succulent that can be grown from simple stem cuttings. Large-scale planting is labour-intensive, creating jobs for people who collect cuttings, plant them, build protective fencing and maintain the growing shrubs across vast areas of land. The project’s developer, Imperative, has already planted about 30 million spekboom cuttings across 10,000 hectares since work began in April 2024. With Amazon’s support, the project is expected to expand to more than 50,000 hectares, covering an area more than twice the size of Seattle. The broader goal is to plant around 180 million spekboom shrubs across the Eastern Cape by 2028. Every stage of the expansion, from planting to long-term land management, is expected to generate local employment.
“This is a story about nature, community, ingenuity and scale,” said Amazon Chief Sustainability Officer Kara Hurst.
“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 and create jobs, and serve as a model for how nature-based solutions can enable both climate action and economic development.”
Her comments reflect the project’s central goal of linking environmental restoration with lasting economic opportunities for local communities.
The environmental benefits are expected to grow alongside the employment. As spekboom matures, it improves soil quality, helps the land retain moisture and creates conditions for native grasses, shrubs and trees to recover. That, in turn, supports birds, insects and other wildlife. The restoration area is already home to at least 165 recorded plant and animal species, including several classified as vulnerable. The carbon credits generated by the project have received both ABACUS and Climate, Community and Biodiversity certification, along with an “AA.pre” rating from independent assessor BeZero Carbon, one of the highest awarded to any afforestation or revegetation project worldwide. The United Nations has also recognised the initiative as one of its World Restoration Flagship projects, strengthening its appeal to investors while highlighting its potential benefits for the communities leading the restoration work.
By: Andrews Kwesi Yeboah