Schools Environmental Education and Development

What Schools Environmental Education and Development does

Schools Environmental Education and Development (SEED) is a South African nonprofit organization founded in 1998 and headquartered at the Rocklands Resilience Hub on the grounds of Rocklands Primary School in Mitchells Plain, Cape Town. SEED delivers permaculture education, organic gardening training, facilitation skills development, and resilience training to marginalised youth, primary school learners, corporate groups, and community leaders in the Cape Flats. Its flagship offerings include the Outdoor Classroom program (weekly environmental literacy lessons at partner schools such as Caradale Primary and Rocklands Primary), the Organic Gardening Course (4 days, R1,500), the Applied Permaculture Training (2 weeks, R2,500), the Facilitation Training (4 days), and the Resilience Training (1 week), with a curated network of 150+ Green Economy employers providing job placement pathways for graduates.

SEED's underlying 'technology' is its 25+ years of codified curriculum in permaculture design, sustainable agriculture, and community resilience, delivered through hands-on instruction at a working demonstration site rather than digital platforms. The organization is accredited by AgriSETA (ETQA ID: 694) and holds 100% B-BEEE certification for Skills Development and Enterprise Development, lending formal credibility to its vocational training. Operational revenue is generated through three streams: per-participant training fees, individual and corporate donations (facilitated via GlobalGiving and the Woolworths MyDifference loyalty program), and grants from a broad base of funders including Nedbank, Lemonaid, Hans Hoheisen Charitable Trust, Amy Foundation, Mzanzi, and the South African Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Inbound awareness flows through tourism partnerships with Uthando, Aunty Nita's Tours, and G Adventures, alongside organic social media and a monthly newsletter. SEED runs a small team of approximately 11-15 staff including Director Logie Soobramoney, Community Coordinator Gina Hendrickse, Facilitator Lauren Dreyer, and dedicated garden, nursery, partnerships, and fundraising functions.

Name

Schools Environmental Education and Development

Legal name

Schools Environmental Education and Development

Website

https://seed.org.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SEED is a Cape Town-based nonprofit (founded 1998) that delivers permaculture, organic gardening, facilitation, and resilience training to marginalised youth, school learners, corporates, and community leaders from its Rocklands Resilience Hub in Mitchells Plain, with job placement via 150+ Green Economy partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Education and Permaculture Training

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169), Other Technical and Trade Schools (611519)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Outdoor & Wilderness Education Schools (Field-Based Learning) (THAAAOAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Environmental Education & Outreach (BPAGAGAH), Science Camps & Field Programs (Nature, Space, Marine, Geology) (EDAMABAB), Outdoor/Nature/Forest Preschools (EDACABAJ), Outdoor Education & Adventure Programs (School-Run) (EDAJAJAJ)

Keywords

• Permaculture training
• Environmental education
• Community gardening
• Youth development
• Sustainable agriculture

Headquarters

HQ city

Cape Town

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Training Fees: Fees charged for workshops and training programs including Organic Gardening (R1500), Applied Permaculture (R2500), and other courses. Provides direct revenue for operations.
2. Donations and Grants: Tax-exempt donations from individuals and organizations. Direct bank transfers and GlobalGiving campaign contributions support scholarships and program operations.
3. Loyalty Program Partnerships: Woolworths MyDifference card donations where a portion of purchases is contributed to SEED.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Schools Environmental Education and Development (SEED) is a South African nonprofit that delivers hands-on permaculture and resilience training programs and an Outdoor Classroom environmental education programme at schools. Courses (Organic Gardening, Facilitation, Applied Permaculture, Resilience Training) are taught at the Rocklands Resilience Hub in Mitchells Plain, Cape Town, alongside community gardens that donate produce and tours/site visits for schools, corporates, and visitors.

Product overview

SEED (Schools Environmental Education and Development) is a nonprofit organization offering environmental education and permaculture training programs rather than a technology product. The core offerings include the Outdoor Classroom program delivering weekly lessons in gardening and ecology at partner schools, and a suite of training programs at the Rocklands Abundance Centre. Training programs include the Organic Gardening Course (4 days), Facilitation Training (4 days), Applied Permaculture Training (2 weeks), and Resilience Training (1 week), collectively teaching permaculture design, sustainable gardening, and green economy skills. SEED also operates community gardens that donate fresh produce to local feeding schemes and offers educational tours of their Mitchells Plain site.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Outdoor Classroom
• Organic Gardening Course
• Applied Permaculture Training (APT)
• Resilience Training
• Facilitation Training
• Community Gardens (Thrive Food Gardens)
• Tours and Site Visits

Quantifiable outcome

• Trained 2075+ alumni as of 2025/2026
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• UthandominorGTM or Marketing PartnerTourism partner that brings visitors to SEED's Rocklands Resilience Hub, expanding awareness and community engagement through experiential tourism.
• Aunty Nita's ToursminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTourism partner bringing visitors to SEED for tours and experiences, creating awareness and support for the organisation.
• G AdventuresminorGTM or Marketing PartnerInternational sustainable travel company that includes SEED in their tour offerings, bringing international visitors to the site.
• Woolworths South AfricacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerThrough the MyDifference loyalty programme, Woolworths customers can direct a portion of their purchases to SEED, creating ongoing donations.
• RLabsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCape Town-based innovation hub supporting social entrepreneurs in Mitchells Plain.
• DAG (Development Action Group)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCape Town-based NGO working on community development and urban sustainability.
• GCU (Greater Cape Town Unity)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner in the Cape Town region focused on community and sustainability initiatives.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Greenpop: South African environmental NGO focused on reforestation, climate action, and environmental education. Comparable in mission, donor-supported model, and youth/community training programs, with broader national reach.
• Cape Town Environmental Education Trust (EET): Cape Town-based environmental education nonprofit running school and community programs in biodiversity and sustainability. Closely comparable to SEED's Outdoor Classroom-style school-based environmental literacy work.
• Earthchild Project: Cape Town-based nonprofit running environmental education and holistic programs in under-resourced schools. Directly comparable to SEED's Outdoor Classroom model and Cape Flats focus, serving overlapping school-learner segments.
• Sustainability Institute: Stellenbosch-based learning center offering sustainability, permaculture, and regenerative design education. Comparable as a field-based vocational/learning campus with permaculture curriculum and accredited training programs.
• Abalimi Bezekhaya: Cape Town nonprofit supporting home and community food gardens in low-income areas. Comparable as Cape Flats-based food security and urban agriculture trainer, addressing similar marginalised-community segments.

Regional players

• Ubuntu Education Fund: South African nonprofit providing holistic youth development including education, health, and livelihood programs. Comparable pathway-to-opportunity model serving marginalised youth, though broader in scope than SEED.
• Open Africa: African sustainable-tourism and education route developer connecting travelers to community projects. Comparable in facilitating experiential tourism flow to social enterprises, with overlap to SEED's tourism partners (G Adventures, Uthando).

Emerging players

• Living Landscapes Trust: South African organization promoting regenerative land-use and sustainability education. Comparable thematic overlap in permaculture and environmental literacy training.
• Credible Food: South African permaculture and regenerative food education venture. Comparable as a permaculture training provider, though earlier-stage and more commercially oriented than SEED.

Broad incumbents

• Food & Trees for Africa: Larger established South African social enterprise addressing food security and greening through enterprise development. Overlaps with SEED's food gardens, school greening, and skills development mission at greater national scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SEED.community
• Instagraminstagram.com/seedcommunitysa/?hl=en
• Xx.com/seed_community

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Schools Environmental Education and Development