South Africa’s tourism and travel industry marked a sustainability milestone on 3 February 2026 with the launch of the Tourism & Travel Green Lung, a national initiative designed to help tourism and travel businesses, including SMMEs, strengthen climate resilience while integrating Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) practices into daily operations.
Source: Supplied | From left to right: Wayne Coetzer, CEO Vergelegen, Peter-John Mitrovich, CEO- Grosvenor Tours, David Frost, CEO SASTA and Larisha Naidoo, Vice-President- Anglo American Zimele
The initiative was launched at Vergelegen Wine Estate in Somerset West, where industry stakeholders planted 250 trees across a 10-hectare site. These initial plantings represent a 10% carbon reduction legacy linked to tourism SMMEs that worked with Sigma International during 2025.
The Green Lung is led by specialist advisory and implementation company Sigma International, in partnership with industry and funding partners including Anglo American Zimele, the Southern Africa Tourism Services Association (Satsa), the Association of Southern African Travel Agents (Asata), and the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA).
From reporting to real-world action
The Green Lung provides a place-based, practical model for moving sustainability beyond reporting and compliance into visible, measurable action.
"The Green Lung provides a tangible example of how sustainability can move beyond reporting and compliance into projects that businesses and communities can see, touch, and grow," said Akash Singh, CEO of Sigma International.
Beyond biodiversity restoration, the site will function as an outdoor auditorium for industry and community events, as well as a platform where tourism SMMEs can access markets through pop-ups, activations and experiential trade opportunities.
Tourism is one of the sectors most exposed to climate risk, with recent environmental shocks, including flooding in key tourism regions, underscoring the urgency for practical mitigation and adaptation measures.
"This initiative moves sustainability from intention into action,” said Singh. “It creates a credible home where tourism businesses can actively reduce their carbon footprint while strengthening inclusive economic participation. It is ESD meeting ESG in practice – not in theory, but in a way you can experience."
A scalable national model
The launch site at the 326-year-old Vergelegen Wine Estate reflects the link between heritage conservation, tourism, and environmental stewardship. Hosting the event, Vergelegen CEO Wayne Coetzer said the initiative aligns with the estate’s long-standing sustainability focus.
"Since its inception, we have planted over 6,000 trees and plan to plant another 1,000 this year," said Coetzer, referencing Vergelegen’s broader 54-hectare arboretum project unveiled five years ago.
The Green Lung model will be scaled nationally, expanding participation by tourism SMMEs across value chains, while partnering with corporates and tourists to co-fund impact programmes and establish similar sites in other regions.
Sigma International is a South African enterprise and supplier development (ESD) and ESG impact advisory with more than 22 years’ experience, delivering inclusive growth programmes across tourism, agriculture, manufacturing, energy and services sectors.
For more information on the project, visit: https://www.sigmaintl.co.za/projects3.html
More on Vergelegen’s sustainability initiatives: https://vergelegen.co.za/sustainability/
