SPEKBOOM

What SPEKBOOM does

Spekboom Trading is a Cape Town–based partnership between Inqo Investments and AfriCarbon that develops and operates the Kuzuko Thicket Restoration Project in South Africa's Eastern Cape. Formed in 2014, the venture restores degraded Albany subtropical thicket — a biome dominated by the high-carbon-stocking succulent spekboom (Portulacaria afra) — across more than 5,000 hectares, employing 150+ members of surrounding local communities to carry out the restoration work.

The project's underlying "technology" is biological and methodological rather than digital: re-establishing spekboom-dominated thicket via active planting and natural regeneration, then quantifying the resulting carbon sequestration under a methodology reviewed and validated by the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) and additionally certified at the Climate, Community and Biodiversity Alliance (CCBA) Gold Level. The venture is registered to generate approximately 2.4 million carbon credits over a 54-year crediting period, with the scientific baseline anchored in the field research of co-director Prof. Anthony Mills, who is also CEO of restoration specialist C4 EcoSolutions. Co-director Christopher John Bertie, a former EY partner, provides financial governance.

Spekboom Trading monetises the restored ecosystem by selling verified carbon credits into the voluntary carbon market, targeting corporate ESG and net-zero buyers. The 54-year crediting horizon, combined with dual VCS/CCBA Gold certification and embedded community employment, is the venture's primary commercial asset; no recurring subscription, software, or data product is offered alongside the carbon credits.

Name

SPEKBOOM

Legal name

Spekboom Trading

Website

https://spekboomtrading.co.za

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Spekboom Trading is a Cape Town partnership between Inqo Investments and AfriCarbon that restores 5,000+ hectares of degraded Eastern Cape thicket and sells VCS- and CCBA Gold–verified carbon credits to corporate ESG buyers over a 54-year horizon.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Carbon Credit Trading and Ecosystem Restoration

NAICS

Support Activities for Forestry (11531), Support Activities for Forestry (1153)

SIC

Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Forestry & Ecosystem Carbon Removal (Afforestation/Reforestation, Improved Forest Management) (EUABAFAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Improved Forest Management (IFM) (EUABABAB), Timberland Carbon & Natural Capital Project Development (Offsets/REDD+) (AFAMAKAH), Conservation, Restoration & Biodiversity Services (Habitat, Wetlands, Riparian) (IMAMAJAH)

Keywords

• Carbon credit trading
• Ecosystem restoration
• Thicket restoration
• Carbon offset sales
• Biodiversity conservation

Headquarters

HQ city

Cape Town

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Carbon Credits Sales: Sale of Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) carbon credits to companies seeking to offset their carbon emissions. The project will produce 2.4 million carbon credits over its 54-year lifespan from restored thicket vegetation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Spekboom Trading restores more than 5,000 hectares of degraded thicket vegetation in the Kuzuko Game Reserve, Eastern Cape, South Africa, by planting cuttings of the indigenous Portulacaria afra (spekboom) succulent tree. The restored thicket captures and stores atmospheric carbon dioxide, generating 2.4 million Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) and CCBA Gold-certified carbon credits sold to corporate buyers over the project's 54-year lifespan. The project simultaneously delivers biodiversity conservation benefits and employment for 150+ local community members.

Product overview

Spekboom Trading operates as a carbon credit trading and ecosystem restoration company structured as a partnership between Inqo Investments and AfriCarbon. The core offering centers on the Kuzuko Thicket Restoration Project, which generates verified carbon credits through large-scale planting of spekboom (Portulacaria afra) vegetation. These products work together: the restoration project serves as the carbon capture mechanism producing the credits, while the community employment services represent the social impact component required by their verification standards. The company sells carbon credits directly to companies seeking to offset emissions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Kuzuko Thicket Restoration Project An ecosystem restoration initiative involving the planting of spekboom (Portulacaria afra) cuttings on 5,000+ hectares of degraded thicket vegetation in the Kuzuko Game Reserve, Eastern Cape, South Africa. The project captures carbon credits by restoring indigenous thicket vegetation that absorbs CO2 from the atmosphere. It targets companies seeking verified carbon offsets and is also designed to benefit local communities through employment.
• Verified Carbon Credits Verified carbon credits (VCS and CCBA Gold certified) generated by the Kuzuko Thicket Restoration Project. The project will produce 2.4 million carbon credits over its 54-year lifespan through the restoration of degraded thicket vegetation that captures and stores atmospheric carbon dioxide. Sold directly to corporate buyers seeking to offset emissions.
• Community Employment and Training Programme A job creation and skills development programme providing employment for more than 150 local community members in the Eastern Cape, including training in planting techniques, health education, and personal finance skills during the project's duration.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2.4 million tonnes of CO2 captured over 54-year project lifespan
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Inqo InvestmentscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership between Spekboom Trading and Inqo Investments. Inqo Investments specialises in addressing poverty and social needs. This partnership combines project development expertise with social investment focus to deliver the Kuzuko Thicket Restoration Project.
• AfriCarboncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership between Spekboom Trading and AfriCarbon. AfriCarbon facilitates investments in restoration of ecosystems. Together with Inqo Investments, this partnership drives the flagship Kuzuko Thicket Restoration Project combining ecosystem restoration with social impact.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Ecosphere+: Curator and seller of high-integrity nature-based carbon credits (forestry, blue carbon, ARR) to corporate and SME buyers — comparable in selling certified, co-benefit-rich credits from nature-based projects.
• GreenTrees: Reforestation/afforestation carbon project developer that plants trees and sells verified carbon credits to enterprise buyers — directly comparable in afforestation-based carbon credit generation and corporate sales motion.
• NCX (Natural Capital Exchange): Marketplace and project developer for nature-based carbon credits focused on high-integrity forestry and IFM assets sold to corporate buyers — comparable in product (forest carbon credits), buyer profile and certification emphasis.
• Terra Carbon: Nature-based carbon project developer focused on improved land management, ARR and forest-carbon projects in developing economies — directly comparable in developing and selling VCS/CCBA-style nature-based credits with co-benefits.
• Pachama: Technology-enabled marketplace and project developer focused on nature-based carbon credits with rigorous MRV and quality ratings — directly comparable in selling verified nature-based credits (forestry, IFM, reforestation) to enterprise buyers.
• South Pole Group: Large nature-based carbon project developer that develops, registers and sells high-integrity voluntary carbon credits (including reforestation and IFM projects) to corporate buyers under VCS/CCBA-style standards — directly comparable in project development, certification stack and B2B credit sales motion.
• Wildlife Works: Africa-based (Kenya) nature-based carbon project developer operating REDD+ projects that bundle biodiversity, community and climate co-benefits, validating credits under VCS and CCBA standards — directly comparable in business model, geographic focus on African ecosystems, and verified-credit sales to corporate buyers.
• Patch: API-driven carbon credit marketplace that sells nature-based and tech-based credits directly to enterprise software platforms — comparable as a competing distribution channel for the same pool of high-integrity voluntary credits Spekboom produces.
• Forest Carbon: UK-based woodland carbon project developer that develops and sells verified woodland-creation and IFM carbon credits to corporate buyers — comparable in project development, voluntary certification model and B2B credit sales.

Others

• Sylvera: Independent carbon credit ratings and analytics provider covering VCS/CCBA-registered nature-based projects — comparable as an ecosystem enabler whose ratings materially influence the price Spekboom can command for its Kuzuko credits.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 SPEKBOOM