Building a Regenerative Economy in South Africa
How can we create impactful and sustainable communities, particularly within the context of a regenerative economy? The insights shared by our founder Nicole Bastien on the "What Matters" podcast with her guest Anneen Maree provide you with a wealth of information right from the source.
Anneen Maree is a sustainable community builder from South Africa. She is looking back on almost two decades of lived experience, gathered amid of the happenings and condensed through her incredible heart and clarity.
Regenerative Economy Explained
A regenerative economy puts itself in service to life, integrating economic activities that benefit both people and the environment while still addressing businesses' financial sustainability. It differs significantly from traditional linear economies, focusing instead on creating systems that are harmonious with natural processes and human well-being.
Case Study: Sustainable Community Building in South Africa
Anneen, a sustainable community builder from South Africa, shares her experiences in developing regenerative economies in various communities, particularly highlighting her work in Bakwena Ba Mogopa. Here are some key takeaways from my captured live conversation with Anneen which you can fully enjoy on our channels on Spotify and YouTube.
1. Community-Centric Planning
There is no over-emphasizing the need to engage deeply with the community. Instead of imposing solutions, listen to the needs, values, and cultural practices of the community members. For instance, while working with communities that own cattle, Anneen shares how they developed initiatives around cattle products, like using the marked skins for distinctive local footwear branding. “If it doesn’t have a scar, it is not original.”
2. Building Infrastructure for Real Needs
Focus on practical, low-tech solutions that meet the community's immediate needs. For example, introducing biomass stoves that reduce reliance on traditional fuels and improve air quality in homes.
3. Adaptive Strategies
Adaptive strategies are critical as initial plans often require adjustments to suit the real-world dynamics of the community. Anneen recounted a situation where incentivizing the collection of used diapers led to unexpected crime, prompting a shift in strategy to trade clean diapers for dirty ones, reducing crime and still meeting the project's goals.
4. Holistic Ecosystem Understanding
Treat each community like a living organism, observing every detail from local flora and fauna to cultural and social practices. This holistic approach allows for the development of tailored solutions that resonate with the community and are thus more sustainable. It’s all about the community and not any Western-thinking approach.
5. Avoiding Hierarchical Structures
To foster mutualism and reduce conflicts within the community, prefer assigning roles and responsibilities without formal titles, allowing natural leadership to emerge organically. This method helps in reducing power struggles and promotes a more cohesive working environment.
6. Engagement over Handouts
Sustainable development is not about handing out resources but about enabling communities to leverage what they already have in innovative ways. This approach builds ownership and accountability among community members.
My Final Thoughts About My Conversation With Aneen
Investing in a regenerative economy requires patience, adaptability, and a deep understanding of the local context. It's about fostering synergy between human activities and natural systems to create resilient and thriving communities.
For more insights, feel free and engage with us at What Matters. If you have further questions or experiences to share, feel free to join our next live conversation on LinkedIn. And to get the full conversation please visit our channel on Spotify or YouTube.
Yours,
Nicole Bastien from What Matters