National Cleaner Production Centre

What National Cleaner Production Centre does

The National Cleaner Production Centre (NCPC), also known as NCPC-SA, is a government-mandated national industry support programme hosted by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) on behalf of South Africa's Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic). Established around 2010 with the launch of the Industrial Energy Efficiency Project, NCPC operates as a public programme to promote Resource Efficient and Cleaner Production (RECP), circular economy, and decarbonisation across South African industry. Its core offerings include the Industrial Symbiosis Programme (ISP), which facilitates peer-to-peer exchanges of underutilised resources (materials, energy, water, waste, assets, logistics, expertise) among companies; structured RECP training programmes covering energy, water, waste, and carbon management; the biennial Industrial Efficiency Conference; and the 24-month RECP Internship Programme deployed with the Department of Tourism. The programme operates across 8 of South Africa's 9 provinces (Gauteng, Limpopo, Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Free State, North West, Northern Cape) and serves industrial companies, SMMEs and green enterprises, tourism facilities, and industrial parks/SEZs.

NCPC's underlying technology is the RECP methodology, an Industrial Symbiosis facilitation approach, and energy management systems aligned to ISO 50001. Its proprietary assets include RECP assessment tools for evaluating energy, water, waste, and material flows; a codified Industrial Symbiosis facilitation methodology; and an Access-to-Finance Tool developed through GEIPP South Africa to route RECP projects to funding. The programme is supported by international partners including UNIDO (flagship partnership across GEIPP, CB-ACES, GEMINI-SA, steel decarbonisation, and textile circular economy), SECO, GEF, and adelphi.

The business model is non-commercial: all services, including RECP assessments, training, facilitation, and tools, are provided free of charge to eligible companies. NCPC is funded through annual appropriations from the dtic routed via CSIR and through multi-year international donor projects. Customers are not revenue sources; they are beneficiaries of a public mandate. The programme has reached over 450 companies (2010-2022), resulting in 6,500 GWh of energy saved, R6.4 billion in cost savings, 6.5 million tonnes of CO2e mitigated, 67,789 tonnes of landfill diversion in Limpopo alone, and 1,800 successful industrial symbiosis exchanges.

Name

National Cleaner Production Centre

Legal name

National Cleaner Production Centre

Website

https://industrialefficiency.co.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The National Cleaner Production Centre is a South African government-mandated national industry support programme, hosted by the CSIR on behalf of the dtic, that provides free resource efficiency, industrial symbiosis, and cleaner production services to industrial companies, SMMEs, tourism facilities, and industrial parks across South Africa.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Sustainability and Resource Efficiency Services

NAICS

Waste Management and Remediation Services (562), Materials Recovery Facilities (562920), Public Administration (92)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Supplier Engagement & Value-Chain Decarbonization Programs (EUABAKAE)

Keywords

• Industrial resource efficiency
• Cleaner production services
• Industrial symbiosis facilitation
• Circular economy consulting
• Decarbonisation advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Gauteng

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: NCPC-SA is an industry support programme hosted by the CSIR on behalf of the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic), providing free services to industry
2. International Donor Projects: Multi-year donor-funded projects with partners such as UNIDO, GEF, and SECO for specific initiatives like industrial symbiosis, circular economy, and sustainable manufacturing

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

NCPC operates as a government-funded national industry support programme that delivers free Resource Efficient and Cleaner Production (RECP) assessments, industrial symbiosis facilitation, training, and tools to South African industrial companies. Its services cover energy management, water efficiency, waste minimisation, and decarbonisation support, with provincial Industrial Symbiosis Programmes operating across eight provinces. The programme is mandated and funded by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic) and hosted by the CSIR.

Product overview

The National Cleaner Production Centre South Africa (NCPC-SA) operates as a national industry support programme that offers a portfolio of service programmes rather than a unified software product. The core offerings include the Industrial Symbiosis Programme (ISP), which provides free facilitation services for industrial symbiosis and waste exchange; Resource Efficient and Cleaner Production (RECP) Training programmes covering energy, water, waste, and carbon management; the biennial Industrial Efficiency Conference; and the RECP Internship Programme. These programmes are delivered through workshops, training sessions, and direct industry support to promote resource efficiency, low-carbon practices, and circular economy principles in South African industry.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Industrial Symbiosis Programme (ISP) A free facilitation service that promotes the exchange of one company's residual resources (material, energy, water, waste, assets, logistics, expertise) with another company that can use them, supporting waste diversion from landfills and strengthening the green economy. The programme operates across eight South African provinces.
• Resource Efficient and Cleaner Production (RECP) Training Training programmes focused on energy management, water efficiency, waste management and carbon management for industry professionals, with original training courses spanning 14 disciplines. Delivered through workshops, online courses, and expert-level technical instruction.
• Industrial Efficiency Conference Biennial conference focused on enabling circularity and decarbonisation in industry, showcasing practical solutions for sustainable manufacturing and bringing together industry stakeholders.
• RECP Internship Programme 24-month internship programme placing engineering, environmental and science graduates at tourism facilities to develop green economy professionals while delivering sustainability benefits at tourism sites.

Quantifiable outcome

• 6,500 GWh energy saved between 2010 and 2022
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• CSIR (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCPC-SA is hosted by the CSIR on behalf of the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic). CSIR provides institutional support and infrastructure for programme delivery.
• Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe dtic provides the mandate and funding for NCPC as a national industry support programme. The programme supports dtic's industrial development strategy focused on 'the 3Ds': Decarbonisation, Digitalisation and Diversification.
• UNIDO (United Nations Industrial Development Organization)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCPC and UNIDO together implement four flagship projects to promote sustainability and enhance competitiveness of South Africa's industrial spaces. Partnership includes Global Eco-Industrial Spaces Programme, Climate and Biodiversity Action through Circular Economy Solutions (CB-ACES), GEMINI-SA project, and textile sector circular economy initiatives.
• Department of TourismcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCPC led a 24-month RECP Internship Programme on behalf of the Department of Tourism to develop young green economy professionals while delivering sustainability benefits for tourism facilities across the country.
• Limpopo Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism (LEDET)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFive-year partnership through the Limpopo Industrial Symbiosis Programme (LIM-ISP). LEDET awarded R70,000 grants to selected green enterprises and supports capacity building workshops.
• Gauteng Department of Environment (GDEnv)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Gauteng Industrial Symbiosis Programme (GISP) which recently celebrated 10 years of operation, helping industry recover and redirect resources for reuse.
• Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDFFE appointed NCPC-SA as the project Executing Agency for GEMINI-SA project (Global Elimination of Mercury in Non-ferrous Metals Initiative), working towards mercury-free non-ferrous metal production.
• adelphiflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational sustainability think-tank working with NCPC and UNIDO on Climate and Biodiversity Action through Circular Economy Solutions (CB-ACES) project and circular economy partnership projects.
• Industrial Development Corporation (IDC)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the 'Accelerating the Decarbonisation of South Africa's Steel Industry' project led by UNIDO, focusing on large multi-year industrial decarbonisation initiatives.
• Babcock AfricaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBabcock Africa partnered with NCPC-SA to conduct RECP assessments across selected priority sites in South Africa as part of plans to reduce environmental impacts.
• Africa InstituteflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerAfrica Institute for the Environmentally Sound Management of Hazardous and Other Wastes is responsible for aligning execution of the textile sector circular economy project in the region alongside UNIDO.
• National Foundry Technology Network (NFTN)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCPC and NFTN collaborate on skills development initiatives focused on resource-efficient and cleaner production principles for the foundry industry.
• GuidehouseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the 'Accelerating the Decarbonisation of South Africa's Steel Industry' project, contributing expertise to multi-partner industrial decarbonisation initiative.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Carbon Trust: UK government-backed organisation delivering industrial energy efficiency, decarbonisation and resource productivity advisory — closest international peer in terms of mandate-driven industrial sustainability services.
• Industrial Symbiosis Ltd: Specialist industrial symbiosis facilitation firm that commercialises the same by-product synergy methodology NCPC delivers free of charge, providing a private-sector benchmark for the same service model.
• GreenCape: South African green economy sector development agency that supports industry with resource efficiency, circular economy and sustainable manufacturing — the closest domestic analogue to NCPC in mission and customer base.
• National Industrial Symbiosis Programme (NISP) UK: UK pioneer of the industrial symbiosis facilitation model that NCPC has adapted for South Africa; directly comparable methodology and customer engagement approach.
• National Cleaner Production Centre (India): Sister UNIDO-affiliated national cleaner production centre that delivers RECP methodology, industrial assessments and training to Indian industry under the same global programme framework.

Broad incumbents

• South Pole Group: Global climate consultancy delivering carbon strategy, energy efficiency and industrial decarbonisation projects that overlap with NCPC's corporate client base but on a commercial fee basis.
• CDP (formerly Carbon Disclosure Project): Global environmental disclosure system that overlaps with NCPC's industrial sustainability work but operates at far broader scale across disclosure, ratings and capital markets rather than on-site industrial assessment.

Emerging players

• Centre for Industrial Sustainability (University of Cambridge): Academic-industrial research centre working on resource efficiency and circular economy research that conceptually parallels NCPC's RECP assessment work and methodologies.

Others

• adelphi: International sustainability think-tank and active NCPC partner on the CB-ACES and circular economy projects — adjacent rather than competitive, providing policy and advisory capacity.
• Guidehouse: International consultancy partnering with NCPC on the South Africa steel decarbonisation project — adjacent advisory peer with overlapping industrial decarbonisation expertise.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NCPC_SA
• Facebookfacebook.com/NCPCSouthAfrica
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ncpcsa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 National Cleaner Production Centre