What Living Lands does

Living Lands is a South African non-profit company (NPC, Section 21) established in September 2008 under Registration No. 2008/023233/08, headquartered in Joubertina in the Eastern Cape. The organization operates as a landscape-based entity dedicated to combating land degradation by working alongside rural farming communities in the Langkloof and Baviaanskloof regions. Its core service offering is holistic landscape restoration delivered through a proprietary methodology called the 4 Returns framework, which targets four dimensions: Inspiration Return, Social Return, Natural Return, and Financial Return. The organization integrates five focus areas — regenerative agriculture, biodiversity conservation in the Cape Floristic Region, rural economic development, water catchment security, and community-based landscape management — across short, medium, and long-term project horizons.

The underlying operational model is community-embedded: Living Lands staff live and work within the communities they serve, co-creating restoration solutions through direct on-the-ground engagement. The organization is a partner of CommonLand (an international landscape restoration network) and a participant in the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021–2030). It distributes and funds its work through its own website, social media channels, and a verified BackaBuddy crowdfunding campaign platform, the most recent use of which is the Baviaanskloof Flood Relief campaign activated after catastrophic flooding in May 2026. The flood relief effort also illustrates operational expansion into acute disaster response alongside the organization's long-term restoration work.

Living Lands operates as a donation- and grant-funded non-profit with no commercial product sales or disclosed pricing. Revenue is generated through direct donations, project-specific grants, and crowdfunding — including verified BackaBuddy campaigns where funds flow directly to named beneficiaries. Its primary "customer" segment is rural agricultural communities in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, and its funding base is composed of individual donors and grant-making institutions (the latter not specifically disclosed in available data). No parent company, subsidiaries, or formal headcount disclosures beyond an 11–50 employee range were identified.

Name

Living Lands

Legal name

Living Lands NPC

Website

https://livinglands.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Living Lands is a South African non-profit (NPC, founded 2008) that delivers holistic landscape restoration in the Eastern Cape's Langkloof and Baviaanskloof regions using its 4 Returns framework, working alongside rural farming communities and funded through donations, grants, and crowdfunding.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Landscape Restoration Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Forestry (1153)

SIC

Forestry (800), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Conservation, Restoration & Biodiversity Services (Habitat, Wetlands, Riparian) (IMAMAJAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Agroforestry & Perennial Cropping Systems (EUABABAD), Wetlands, Peatlands & Mangrove Restoration (Blue Carbon Restoration) (EUABABAG), Grassland/Rangeland Management & Restoration (EUABABAF)

Keywords

• Landscape restoration
• Regenerative agriculture
• Water catchment protection
• Biodiversity conservation
• Rural economic development

Headquarters

HQ city

Cape Town

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: Living Lands operates as an NPC (Section 21 non-profit company) established in 2008. The organization relies on donations, grants, and investment funding to support landscape restoration projects. They accept direct donations for specific projects and flood relief efforts, and invite investment in long-term restoration of the region.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Living Lands is a non-profit landscape restoration organization that delivers holistic restoration of agricultural landscapes in South Africa's Eastern Cape through its proprietary 4 Returns framework (Inspiration, Social, Natural, and Financial returns). It operates regional programs in the Langkloof and Baviaanskloof landscapes, integrating regenerative agriculture, biodiversity conservation, water catchment protection, and rural economic development by working side-by-side with local farming communities.

Product overview

Living Lands is a non-profit organization (NPC, established September 2008) offering landscape restoration services rather than a commercial product portfolio. The organization operates through regional programs including the Baviaanskloof Program and Langkloof Program, delivering holistic landscape restoration via the 4 Returns framework. Their approach integrates short, medium, and long-term projects across five focus areas: regenerative agriculture, global biodiversity conservation, rural economic development, water catchment security, and community-based landscape management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Landscape Restoration Services Holistic landscape restoration services delivered through the proprietary 4 Returns framework (Inspiration, Social, Natural, and Financial returns) to restore agricultural landscapes over time and deliver returns to people, nature, communities, and businesses. Targeted at rural land-managing communities in South Africa's Eastern Cape.
• Langkloof Program Regional landscape restoration program in the Langkloof (Eastern Cape, South Africa) working with local communities on regenerative agriculture and ecosystem restoration.
• Baviaanskloof Program Regional landscape restoration program in the Baviaanskloof (Eastern Cape, South Africa) covering ongoing restoration work and active flood relief and recovery efforts for communities affected by catastrophic May 2026 flooding.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• CommonLandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLiving Lands is a proud partner of CommonLand, an organization focused on landscape restoration. This partnership aligns Living Lands with an international network working to restore degraded landscapes and combat ecosystem degradation.
• United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLiving Lands participates in the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, a global initiative to prevent, halt, and reverse the degradation of ecosystems worldwide. This affiliation positions Living Lands within a worldwide movement for ecosystem recovery.
• BackaBuddysupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerBackaBuddy is South Africa's crowdfunding platform used by Living Lands for verified campaigns. The Baviaanskloof Flood Relief campaign is BaB approved, ensuring donor confidence through verification and direct funding to beneficiaries.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• CommonLand: CommonLand is a Dutch-founded organization that created and disseminates the 4 Returns framework for landscape restoration. Living Lands is a partner implementing this methodology in South Africa, making CommonLand the closest methodological and strategic peer.
• Eden Reforestation Projects: Eden Reforestation Projects is a global non-profit focused on landscape restoration and reforestation through community employment, operating in multiple biodiversity-critical regions. Its model of paying local communities to plant trees closely parallels Living Lands' regenerative, community-embedded approach.
• Trees for the Future: Trees for the Future specializes in regenerative agroforestry and farmer training across Africa, with a similar blend of landscape restoration, food security, and rural livelihoods. It is a relevant peer because it tackles overlapping use cases (regenerative agriculture, rural economic development) in African geographies.
• Conservation South Africa: Conservation South Africa, an affiliate of The Nature Conservancy, focuses on landscape-level conservation and restoration work in the same country and biodiversity hotspot. It is a direct comparator for funding scale, partnerships, and regional landscape programs.
• One Tree Planted: One Tree Planted is a global non-profit that partners with local organizations to run reforestation projects. It is comparable in business model (donation-driven, project-based restoration) and in deploying grassroots partners on the ground in biodiversity-priority regions.
• EcoAgriculture Partners: EcoAgriculture Partners is a non-profit that works on integrated landscape management linking agriculture, conservation, and livelihoods. It is a strong peer given Living Lands' emphasis on integrating regenerative agriculture with ecosystem restoration and rural development.

Broad incumbents

• WWF South Africa: WWF South Africa is a large, established conservation organization working across ecosystems in the country. It represents a broader incumbent in the same funding and policy arena, with overlapping themes of biodiversity, water catchments, and rural community engagement.
• South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI): SANBI is the official South African body coordinating biodiversity research, mapping, and policy across the Cape Floristic Region and other biomes. It is a broader incumbent shaping the policy and funding context in which Living Lands operates.

Regional players

• Food & Trees for Africa: Food & Trees for Africa is a South African non-profit focused on food security, greening, and sustainable agriculture. It shares the same national geography and target communities, making it a strong regional peer with comparable scope and funding mechanisms.

Others

• Verra: Verra administers the Verified Carbon Standard and other nature-based solution certification programs. It is an adjacent ecosystem enabler whose evolving standards directly affect how Living Lands and similar projects can monetize restoration outcomes via carbon or biodiversity credits.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Living_Lands
• Facebookfacebook.com/LivingLandsSA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/living-lands

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Living Lands