Growing Impact Through the Social and Solidarity Economy: Building Nature-Positive Work Partnerships and Pathways for Youth

In South Africa, where youth unemployment is high, inequality is stark, and many people are excluded from formal education, the urgency to enable a Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) is critical. Without systemic support, nature positive work risks reinforcing cycles of poverty and environmental degradation. SSE offers a structural solution by imagining nature-positive work as community-rooted, economically viable, and socially dignified. Social enterprises, as part of this ecosystem, could play a vital role in bridging the gap between ecological resilience and economic opportunity. At Oribi, our mission is to design and deliver the right support to emerging young innovators, especially from marginalized places, to launch and sustain businesses that generate positive social, environmental outcome, while generating income. Enabling SSE in South Africa is a necessity for a just transition that leaves no one behind.

It is for this reason that collaboration is at the heart of everything we do. As an impact incubator focused on resilient food systems and inclusive entrepreneurship, we believe that real change happens when organisations, communities, and individuals come together. 

We build partnerships because collective action, not isolated efforts, is what can truly transform the systems we work in. This belief guided our participation in the recent Isiqalo ("New Beginnings") programme, an inspiring multi-partner initiative focused on building sustainable nature-positive work opportunities for young people without access to advanced education. 

Led by Sustainability Matters, BotSoc, and SANBI, and expanded through collaboration with Nature Connect and Oribi Village, the Isiqalo programme research explored what it means to create dignified, meaningful work for youth in sectors that care for both people and the planet. The DG Murray Trust supported the work with funding, and strategic facilitation was provided by Sue Soal. 

The initiative culminated in a stakeholder workshop on 7 May 2025, which brought together 93 organisations and 142 delegates to explore practical ways of sustaining and scaling nature-positive work and to start building the sector itself. 

Reimagining Nature-Positive Work 

At its core, Isiqalo offers young people short-term work experiences that foster skills, build confidence, and deepen their connection to nature. The programme not only develops technical competencies but also reframes nature-positive work as inherently valuable, dignified, and satisfying. 

This resonates strongly with our mission at Oribi Village, where we work to cultivate the next generation of youth changemakers and impact-driven entrepreneurs. In both food systems and the broader green economy, we see an urgent need to create pathways for economic participation that are inclusive of young people from all backgrounds, especially those without access to formal education. However, a key challenge remains. While programmes like Isiqalo invest in youth and cultivate skills and passion, there are few mechanisms in place to formally recognise these skills or provide clear career pathways. Without this, too much human potential is lost. It is a missed opportunity for both individuals and the sector as a whole. 

Building Sector-Wide Solutions 

To address this, the Isiqalo research team conducted over 130 interviews with organisations across civil society, business, and government. This work mapped the current landscape of nature-positive work and identified barriers and opportunities.

The May workshop built on this research, sparking powerful discussions and collective visioning. Participants were clear-eyed about the realities. Nature-positive work for young people without advanced education is often precarious, short-term, and underfunded. Without systemic change, the cycle of instability will continue.

At the same time, there was overwhelming enthusiasm to shape a collective response. Four key focus areas emerged. 

Integrating care. Embedding mental well-being, personal development, and connection to nature within nature-positive work opportunities. Shifting from transactional employment to work that supports resilience and dignity. 

Valuing skills. Making visible the skills developed through nature-positive work. Enabling youth to build occupational identity and progress within the sector. 

Expanding opportunities. Growing areas such as climate-resilient landscape management, food sovereignty, urban greening, sustainable tourism, and green entrepreneurship. 

Leveraging local ecosystems. Coordinating efforts geographically, such as within catchments, to maximise impact and foster community-based collaboration. 

Collaboration for a Just Transition

The discussions also linked strongly to the broader vision of a just transition, one that not only shifts us toward a more sustainable economy but also ensures that no one is left behind. Nature-positive work plays a unique role here. It reconnects people to nature, repairs broken relationships with land and community, and offers a pathway to inclusive economic participation. 

For Oribi Village, this is where our work in impact-driven entrepreneurship and food systems innovation directly aligns. Whether through supporting youth-led enterprises, strengthening local food systems, or contributing to cross-sector collaboration, we see nature-positive work as a vital part of the future we are building. 

Looking Forward 

One of the most exciting outcomes of the workshop was the collective commitment to build a platform that will: 

1. Facilitate knowledge exchange and peer learning. 

2. Support connection-building across the emerging sector. 

3. Influence public employment and entrepreneurship programming and funding policies to better support sustaining, dignified work for youth. 

   
   

At Oribi Village, we are proud to contribute to this effort and to continue championing the role of collaboration, partnerships, and collective agency in driving impact. Together, we can help shape food systems and green economy pathways that nourish both people and planet, and that offer opportunity for all.