August 27, 2025
Norfund is investing in Green Create, a waste-to-value group with operations in Mauritius and South Africa. The investment is made in partnership with the South African fund Infra Impact, which Norfund committed USD 8.5 million (150 M ZAR) to in 2023.
The Green Create facilities treat both millions of liters of effluent wastewater as well as processes thousands of tonnes of agricultural waste each year. The company’s operations reduce the load on the downstream municipal water treatment infrastructure as well as landfilling and generate biogas that can replace fossil fuels in industrial processes. In South Africa coal still dominates the energy mix, and biogas is a renewable energy source.
“The waste infrastructure is limited and overburdened, the waste volumes are escalating, and there are shortages of electricity and water. Green Create has demonstrated that they can help tackle these substantial challenges at simultaneously, in a commercially viable approach, which is an impressive achievement, and makes us enthusiastic about investing in the company,”
Vegard Benterud, Investment Director for Green Infrastructure in Norfund.
“South Africa and Mauritius faces three pressing challenges at once: an unreliable electricity supply, strict emissions reduction targets and ongoing environmental issues related to wastewater. Infra Impact’s investment in the Green Create companies is a testament to Infra Impacts commitment to water treatment and sustainable energy leadership in Southern Africa. The Green Create plants demonstrates our strategic investment focus, perfectly aligned with our mission to drive the Just Energy transition and address South Africa’s pressing waste water challenges. Teaming up with Green Create positions us to significantly boost biomethane production, playing a crucial role in meeting the South Africa and Mauritius ambitious energy goals. This transaction underscores Infra Impact’s role in delivering meaningful environmental impact and sustainable growth in the biogas and wastewater treatment sectors”. Says Mark Van Wyk, Co-Founder and CEO of Infra Impact Fund Managers.
Green Create currently operates three anaerobic digestion plants: in Worcester and Rustenburg, South Africa, and in Mauritius. The Worcester and Mauritius facilities treat poultry processing plant and tuna processing plant effluent streams respectively whilst the Rustenburg facility processes poultry manure along with sludge waste from the poultry processing plant. Together, these sites produce biogas, electricity, thermal energy, and clean water, while also recovering nutrients for use as fertiliser. The facilities are located near industrial clients and operate under long-term offtake agreements
“We are thrilled to reach this significant milestone in partnering with Infra Impact and Norfund, with their strategic acquisition into our Green Create Southern African business. While this is a moment of celebration, it also signals the beginning of a promising new chapter. The partnership brings to us not only new resources and expertise but a shared vision to innovate and create greater value for our current and prospective customers which will include the expansion and optimization of some of our existing facilities, the development of various new opportunities and the further roll out of our operations and maintenance division,” Says Byron Norval, COO of Green Create.
The waste-to-energy sector is recognized as an eligible climate finance activity, and in particular climate change mitigation. Southern Africa currently faces the largest climate finance funding gap, with only 18% of mitigation needs and 20% of adaptation needs currently being met, according to a recent report from the Climate Policy Initiative.
The outputs from Green Cerate’s operations yield circular by-products—such as organic fertilizers, ammonium sulphate, and clean water that are reintegrated into agricultural and industrial systems, replacing synthetic inputs, thus contributing to circular economy principles by extending material lifecycles and minimizing waste.