SouthSouthNorth
SouthSouthNorth is a Cape Town-based non-profit that delivers climate-compatible development across 45 countries in Africa, Latin America, and Asia through knowledge brokering, climate finance facilitation, and policy implementation programmes funded by government and foundation donors.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersCape Town, South Africa
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What SouthSouthNorth does
SouthSouthNorth (SSN) is a non-profit climate change organisation founded in 1999 and headquartered in Cape Town, South Africa, with embedded team members in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Ghana. It works across 45 countries in Africa, Latin America, and Asia, delivering climate-compatible development through knowledge brokering, research, climate finance facilitation, and policy formulation and implementation. SSN operates as a portfolio of 27 active programmes (as of 2025-2026), each with distinct funding sources, partners, and delivery models rather than a unified product suite.
SSN's core technical capabilities are operational rather than software-based: it manages digital traceability platforms inside programmes such as SMEP (which digitally traced 17,642.6 tonnes of textile waste), produces knowledge products (62 in 2025), and convenes learning events (50 in 2025). Its underlying technology is therefore institutional knowledge and convening infrastructure rather than a proprietary platform. Programmes include SMEP (£24.6M, FCDO), CLARE (£110M UK-Canada framework, SSN as R4I Hub), GA-LLA (€15M, Netherlands MoFA), VCA, SACFP, JET, RLNELD, and IKI Small Grants, plus newer initiatives such as the Sustainable Settlements Facility and the AFF (Paris Agreement Article 2.1(c)) programme.
The business model is grant-funded non-profit operations. SSN does not charge for its core services; revenue is sourced from institutional donors, including UK FCDO, Germany's BMU/IKI, Canada's IDRC, the Netherlands MoFA, GIZ, NERC, the Adaptation Fund, SDC, the European Climate Foundation, and the Open Society Foundation. Revenue mechanics combine programme implementation fees, technical assistance contracts, and pass-through grant management. As of 2026, SSN is pursuing Green Climate Fund accreditation, which would enable it to channel climate finance directly as an Accredited Entity.
SouthSouthNorth firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SouthSouthNorth
- Legal name
- SouthSouthNorth
- Website
- https://southsouthnorth.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- SouthSouthNorth is a Cape Town-based non-profit that delivers climate-compatible development across 45 countries in Africa, Latin America, and Asia through knowledge brokering, climate finance facilitation, and policy implementation programmes funded by government and foundation donors.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SouthSouthNorth industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Climate Programme Implementation & Advisory Services
- NAICS
- Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Climate Change Mitigation & Adaptation (BPAGAGAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM), Climate Adaptation & Resilience Programs (BPADALAD), Climate Policy, Governance & NDC Support (BPADALAA), Technical Cooperation, Capacity Building & Policy Advisory Programs (BPADABAO), International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH)
Keywords
Where SouthSouthNorth is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cape Town
- HQ country
- South Africa
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices4 records
Markets served
SouthSouthNorth business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Grant Funding: SSN operates as a non-profit organization funded primarily through grants from governments (UK, Germany, Netherlands, Canada), multilateral institutions (GCF, GEF, UNCTAD), and foundations (Open Society Foundation). Revenue comes from programme implementation fees, technical assistance contracts, and capacity building services.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
SouthSouthNorth product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SouthSouthNorth delivers climate-compatible development outcomes through a portfolio of multi-year programmes that provide knowledge management, research synthesis, climate finance advisory, capacity building, and policy formulation/implementation support to governments and civil society in the Global South. Each programme is funded by institutional donors and executed directly or through sub-grants and consortium partnerships, rather than sold as a commercial product.
Product overview
SouthSouthNorth (SSN) is a climate change NGO, not a technology product company. SSN operates as a portfolio of climate action programmes and knowledge brokering services rather than a unified software product. The organisation manages multiple distinct programmes including SMEP (sustainable manufacturing), CLARE (climate adaptation research), VCA (climate advocacy), GA-LLA (locally led adaptation), SACFP (climate finance), AFF (Paris Agreement alignment), JET (energy transition), RLNELD (loss and damage), and IKI Small Grants (biodiversity). These programmes function independently, each with its own funding, partners, and delivery approach, unified by SSN's mission to accelerate climate-resilient development in the Global South. There is no core software platform or integrated product suite.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- SMEP (Sustainable Manufacturing and Environmental Pollution): A programme addressing environmental and human health impacts of the manufacturing sector in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
- CLARE (Climate Adaptation and Resilience)
- SACFP (Southern Africa Climate Finance Partnership)
- GA-LLA (Generating Ambition for Locally Led Adaptation)
Products and services
- Sustainable Manufacturing and Environmental Pollution Programme (SMEP)
- Climate Adaptation and Resilience: Research for Impact Hub (CLARE)
- Voices for Just Climate Action (VCA)
- Southern Africa Climate Finance Partnership (SACFP)
- Generating Ambition for Locally Led Adaptation (GA-LLA)
- Aligning Financial Flows with the Paris Agreement (AFF)
- Just Energy Transition (JET)
- Regional Learning for Non-Economic Loss and Damage (RLNELD)
- International Climate Initiative \u2013 Small Grants (IKI SG)
- Sustainable Settlements Facility (SSF)
Quantifiable outcome
- Over USD 140 million climate finance mobilized for Ethiopia
- +11 more outcomes
Companies that use SouthSouthNorth
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
SouthSouthNorth technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
SouthSouthNorth partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)coreImplements IKI Small Grants on behalf of German Federal Ministry for Environment. SSN runs the South Africa programme for biodiversity restoration through invasive plant removal.
- ICLEI South AsiaminorExternal partner working closely with SSN on the CLARE Research for Impact Hub, supporting knowledge brokering and research uptake.
- International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED)coreLead organization for GA-LLA programme with SSN as consortium partner. Coordinates the broader consortium of 10 LLA Partners spanning multiple regions.
- World Resources Institute (WRI)coreConsortium partner in GA-LLA programme contributing expertise in climate adaptation, governance, and research.
- Save the ChildrencoreConsortium partner in GA-LLA programme focusing on children's resilience and climate adaptation.
- World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) NetherlandscoreLead implementing partner in Voices for Just Climate Action (VCA) alliance along with SSN, Hivos, Fundación Avina, and others.
- HivoscoreImplementing partner in VCA programme, bringing expertise in civil society engagement and advocacy.
- Akina Mama wa Afrika (AMwA)corePartner in VCA alliance representing women's organizations and bringing gender justice perspective to climate action.
- Slum Dwellers International (SDI)corePartner in VCA alliance representing urban poor communities and bringing grassroots perspectives to climate action.
- Fundación AvinacorePartner in VCA alliance contributing to Latin American engagement and civil society strengthening.
- International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD)coreServes as Global Learning Partner for RLNELD, supporting cross-regional exchanges on non-economic loss and damage between East Africa, Pacific, and Bay of Bengal regions.
- Pegasys InternationalcoreSSN's programme implementation partner for SMEP, providing project management, technical support, and financial safeguarding for pilot projects. Co-manages relationships with grantees.
- United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)coreDelivery partner for SMEP providing technical assistance in trade and policy. UNCTAD channels grassroots innovation from localized projects into multilateral decision-making spaces to inform policy and trade.
- Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA)coreProject partnership for Sustainable Settlements Facility aimed at financing low-income, climate-resilient housing in South Africa, with funding from KfW and Germany.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
SouthSouthNorth competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED): International policy and research organisation working on sustainable development, climate change, and equitable economic development. Directly comparable — IIED is also a core GA-LLA consortium partner with SSN — sharing the same Global South, locally-led adaptation focus.
- World Resources Institute (WRI): Global research organisation working at the intersection of environment and development, with major programmes on climate finance, climate action, and resilient development. SSN is a consortium partner with WRI on GA-LLA; both organisations play convening and knowledge-brokering roles in climate policy.
- E3G: Independent climate change think tank working on climate diplomacy, finance, and policy. Directly comparable as a climate policy and finance intermediary that translates climate science into policy and financial outcomes, particularly in international negotiations.
- Climate Policy Initiative (CPI): Global climate finance and policy analysis organisation that tracks, supports, and shapes climate-related investments and policies. Directly comparable to SSN in its focus on bridging climate finance, policy, and implementation across developing and emerging economies.
- Global Center on Adaptation (GCA): International organisation working to accelerate climate adaptation, with significant focus on Africa and the Global South. Comparable to SSN in its adaptation and resilience focus, donor-funded programme model, and convening role in the climate finance ecosystem.
- Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI): Intergovernmental organisation that supports green growth strategies in developing and emerging economies, including climate finance access and policy advisory work. Directly comparable in mandate, geographic focus, and donor-funded programme model.
Broad incumbents
- Overseas Development Institute (ODI): Major global affairs think tank focused on international development, including climate finance, adaptation, and policy. Comparable to SSN in research-policy interface and Global South programme delivery, but operates at significantly larger scale with broader thematic coverage.
- African Development Bank: Multilateral development bank financing climate and development projects across Africa. Comparable to SSN in its African climate finance focus, but operates as a capital-deploying financial institution rather than a knowledge-brokering NGO — relevant as both a funder-adjacent actor and a competitor for climate finance origination.
Emerging players
- ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability: Global network of local and regional governments committed to sustainable urban development. Comparable to SSN through its ICLEI South Asia partnership on the CLARE Research for Impact Hub; both work on locally-led climate action and capacity building for sub-national actors.
- CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project): Non-profit running a global disclosure system for environmental impacts, including climate. Partially comparable to SSN in the knowledge brokering and policy advisory space, but focuses primarily on corporate disclosure rather than government and community climate action.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
SouthSouthNorth social profiles
Digital presenceSouthSouthNorth financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SouthSouthNorth leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
SouthSouthNorth funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SouthSouthNorth M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about SouthSouthNorth
What does SouthSouthNorth do?
SouthSouthNorth delivers climate-compatible development outcomes through a portfolio of multi-year programmes that provide knowledge management, research synthesis, climate finance advisory, capacity building, and policy formulation/implementation support to governments and civil society in the Global South. Each programme is funded by institutional donors and executed directly or through sub-grants and consortium partnerships, rather than sold as a commercial product.
Is SouthSouthNorth a public or private company?
SouthSouthNorth is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was SouthSouthNorth founded?
SouthSouthNorth was founded in 1999. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is SouthSouthNorth based?
SouthSouthNorth is headquartered in Cape Town, South Africa, in the Africa region.
How does SouthSouthNorth make money?
One revenue line is on record: grant Funding.
Who are SouthSouthNorth's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), World Resources Institute (WRI), E3G, Climate Policy Initiative (CPI), Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) and Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI). Broad incumbents are Overseas Development Institute (ODI) and African Development Bank. Emerging players are ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability and CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project).
Does SouthSouthNorth have an API?
No public API is recorded for SouthSouthNorth.
What industry is SouthSouthNorth in?
SouthSouthNorth's product category is Climate Programme Implementation & Advisory Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAGAF, Climate Change Mitigation & Adaptation, with a secondary code of BPAGAKAM, Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations. Its NAICS code is 813211.