african climate alliance

What african climate alliance does

African Climate Alliance (ACA) is a youth-led, movement-based non-profit organisation registered in South Africa (NPC, registration 2020/079857/08, Public Benefit Organisation status) and headquartered in Cape Town. Founded around 2019/2020 by a group of school-age youth, ACA operates four core programme areas — Education, Advocacy, Action, and Ambassadors — supplemented by a virtual ACA Youth Network spanning over 20 African countries via WhatsApp and email. Its primary beneficiaries are young people under 35 across Africa who are engaged in climate justice, while secondary stakeholders include civil society organisations, schools, and partner NGOs that co-host events and campaigns. The organisation explicitly distinguishes itself through an Afrocentric framing of climate justice, integrating social, environmental, and economic justice and grounding its work in indigenous African knowledge.

ACA's product surface is service-led rather than technology-led. Core offerings include climate literacy workshops and dialogues (online and in-person), advocacy capacity-building for youth policy engagement, community mobilisation through partnerships with civil society and schools, and a year-long Ambassador programme with an Opportunity Fund supporting micro-grant community projects (7 projects in Zambia, Malawi, and South Africa in 2024, reaching 250+ people). Supporting offerings include a three-season podcast, an Activist Guide, online workshop recordings, and annual Climate Weeks in Cape Town (since 2022/2023) and Johannesburg (inaugural 2025). The flagship #CancelCoal campaign produced the first youth-led climate court case in South African history, culminating in a December 2024 High Court ruling that declared government plans for 1,500 MW of new coal-fired power 'unlawful and invalid'.

The business model is donation-based: ACA accepts contributions from individuals and organisations and can issue South African Section 18A tax-deductible certificates. No revenue, budget, or funding-round figures are publicly disclosed. The go-to-market motion is community-led — growth is driven by membership in the ACA Youth Network, public events, a podcast and blog, and earned media in South African outlets (Daily Maverick, Mail & Guardian, News24, GroundUp) and international outlets (The Guardian, The Conversation, Euro News). Distribution is concentrated in South Africa with growing operational footprint in Malawi, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Kenya, and Nigeria.

Name

african climate alliance

Legal name

African Climate Alliance

Website

https://africanclimatealliance.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Short description

African Climate Alliance is a Cape Town-based, youth-led non-profit delivering Afrocentric climate justice education, advocacy, and grassroots action programmes for young people across 20+ African countries, funded by tax-deductible donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Climate Justice Advocacy (Youth-Led Non-Profit / Environmental NGO Services)

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Climate Change Mitigation & Adaptation (BPAGAGAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Environmental Education & Outreach (BPAGAGAH), Environmental Education, Capacity Building & Community Engagement (BPADALAO), Climate Change Mitigation, Adaptation & Resilience Programs (BPAIAMAD)

Keywords

• Youth climate activism
• Climate justice advocacy
• Climate education workshops
• Grassroots community organizing
• Environmental policy campaigns

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, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Philanthropic Funding: African Climate Alliance is a registered NPC (Non-Profit Company) and Public Benefit Organisation in South Africa. It accepts monetary donations from individuals and organizations. Donations are used solely for advancing ACA's work and programmes in acting and advocating for Afrocentric climate justice. As a registered charity, it can provide Section 18A certificates enabling donations to be tax-deductible for South African donors.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

African Climate Alliance delivers youth-led climate justice programming organised around four pillars — Education, Advocacy, Action, and Ambassadors — that build climate literacy, advocacy capacity, and community mobilisation skills for young people across Africa. These programme services are anchored by the ACA Youth Network, a virtual (WhatsApp and email) community of hundreds of climate changemakers in 20+ African countries, and complemented by an annual Climate Week event series, the ACA Podcast, and a year-long Ambassadors programme with micro-grant project funding.

Product overview

African Climate Alliance is a youth-led, movement-based, grassroots organisation offering Afrocentric climate justice programmes. The core offerings consist of four programme areas (Education, Advocacy, Action, and Ambassadors) that build climate literacy and capacity in young people. Supporting offerings include the ACA Youth Network (virtual community across 20+ African countries), the ACA Podcast (3 seasons of climate justice discussions), Africa's Youth Voices (annual COP conference series), and the #CancelCoal campaign (landmark youth-led court case). The organisation also runs annual Climate Week events in Cape Town and Johannesburg, publishes an Activist Guide, and provides online workshop recordings and downloadable resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ACA Youth Network: Virtual network of young climate changemakers across Africa, primarily a WhatsApp and email community with hundreds of members from over 20 African countries.
• ACA Ambassadors Programme
• Cancel Coal Campaign
• Climate Week
• Africa's Youth Voices

Products and services

• ACA Youth Network Virtual membership network for young climate changemakers under 35 across 20+ African countries, delivered via WhatsApp and email with weekly discussion topics, Solidarity Gatherings, and a monthly Opportunities Bulletin of fellowships, scholarships, and volunteer opportunities.
• Education Programme Online and in-person workshops and dialogues plus knowledge-building resources that develop climate literacy for young people across Africa.
• Advocacy Programme Capacity-building programme that amplifies youth voices and equips young people to engage in advocacy, climate policy, and media across African countries.
• Action Programme Programme partnering with civil society organisations and schools on community mobilisations and actions calling for climate justice.
• Ambassadors Programme Year-long capacity-building programme for young climate justice activists, with ongoing support through an Opportunity Fund for micro-grant community projects implemented by graduated ambassadors.
• Cape Town Climate Week Annual city-wide programme of climate action events in Cape Town featuring workshops, teach-ins, tours, screenings, and community gatherings across energy, water, food, spatial, and gender justice themes.
• Johannesburg Climate Week Inaugural 2025 city-wide programme of climate action events in Johannesburg led by grassroots organisations, covering energy insecurity, food and water inequity, spatial injustice, and gender-based violence, including events such as the Energy Justice Imbizo and Soweto's first Miyawaki forest planting.
• Cape Town Climate Concert Annual afternoon awareness-building and community solidarity concert in Cape Town that opens Youth Month, featuring African performing artists in an alcohol- and substance-free environment.

Quantifiable outcome

• Landmark court victory — High Court ruled government plans for 1,500 MW new coal-fired power unconstitutional, calling them 'unlawful and invalid' (December 2024)
• +3 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

25 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Vukani Environmental Justice Movement in Action (VEM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-applicant in the landmark Cancel Coal court case alongside ACA and groundWork. VEM represents communities in Mpumalanga affected by coal pollution. The coalition filed the first-ever youth-led climate change court case in South African history challenging the government's plans for 1,500 MW of new coal-fired power.
• groundWork TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-applicant in the Cancel Coal court case, represented by Centre for Environmental Rights. groundWork is an environmental justice organisation working on coal, health, and waste issues affecting South African communities.
• Centre for Environmental Rights (CER)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLegal representative for the Cancel Coal court case coalition (ACA, VEM, groundWork). Provided pro bono legal expertise for the landmark case. Also a partner organisation for Johannesburg Climate Week 2025.
• Save the Children South AfricaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the coalition calling on South Africa to advocate for children's climate rights at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Coalition included child and youth groups demanding inclusion of youth perspectives in government speeches to the world court.
• Black Girls RisingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the coalition (with ACA, Save the Children SA, Web Rangers, Presidential Climate Commission Youth Leaders Caucus) calling for inclusion of children's climate perspectives at the ICJ. Led by young women advocating for climate justice.
• Presidential Climate Commission (PCC) Youth Leaders CaucusminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner in advocating for youth climate rights at the ICJ. ACA engages with PCC through youth commissioners and participates in PCC Youth Leaders Caucus activities.
• Gender LinksminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organisation for Johannesburg Climate Week 2025. Hosted the 'Intersecting Futures: Gender & Climate Justice in Africa' workshop on September 26, 2025 at their offices in Observatory, Johannesburg.
• Mzanzi OrganicsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in planting Soweto's first Miyawaki forest (Ithuba Unity Forest) during Johannesburg Climate Week 2025, in collaboration with Etsoseng Foundation. Led community tree-planting activities for spatial justice demonstration.
• SUGiminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal leader in community-led rewilding and funder of the Ithuba Unity Forest (Miyawaki pocket forest) planting project at a school in Soweto, part of Johannesburg Climate Week 2025.
• Etsoseng Foundation (Ithubelisha Girls' Programme)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-led the Soweto Miyawaki forest planting initiative (Ithuba Unity Forest) during Johannesburg Climate Week 2025, with girls from the Ithubelisha programme choosing the name 'Ithuba' (Opportunity).
• Save the Children South AfricaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Johannesburg Climate Week 2025, advocating for children's rights within climate policy discussions. Also part of the ICJ youth coalition.
• Centre for Child LawminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Johannesburg Climate Week 2025. Contact: Liesl Muller. Works on child rights in the context of climate justice.
• Project 90 by 2030minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organisation for Cape Town Climate Week 2023, collaborating on Energy and Water Justice Workshops held at Isivivana Centre in Khayelitsha.
• Environmental Monitoring GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating partner for Cape Town Climate Week 2023, co-hosting Energy and Water Justice Workshops with Project 90 by 2030.
• Fossil Free South AfricaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Cape Town Climate Week 2023, co-hosting the 'Terrible Twins: Finance and Fossil Fuels' panel discussion on the financial sector's role in the climate crisis.
• Just ShareminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Cape Town Climate Week 2023, collaborating on the panel discussion on finance and fossil fuels alongside Fossil Free South Africa and Fair Finance Coalition.
• Fair Finance CoalitionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Cape Town Climate Week 2023, co-hosting the finance and fossil fuels panel discussion with Fossil Free South Africa and Just Share.
• Unite BehindminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating partner for Cape Town Climate Week 2023, co-hosting a workshop on public transport and intersectional justice at Bertha House.
• Langa Bicycle HubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Cape Town Climate Week 2023, collaborating on the 'Let's Pedal for System Change' awareness-raising cycle from Bertha House to Langa.
• Feed the Future for LifeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Cape Town Climate Week 2023, collaborating on food gardening and food forest planting at locations in Elsies River.
• Climate Justice CoalitionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerACA participates in the Climate Justice Coalition in South Africa as part of its broader strategy to connect climate justice with broader social justice movements.
• KujengaminorOthersPerforming artist at the Cape Town Climate Concert on June 1, 2024. Black improvised music outfit based in Cape Town, with name meaning 'to build' in Swahili.
• Soundz of the SouthminorOthersPerforming artist at the Cape Town Climate Concert on June 1, 2024. Political hip-hop collective anti-authoritarian, anti-capitalist, anti-racist, and anti-sexist.
• Soulitude and FriendsminorOthersPerforming artist at the Cape Town Climate Concert on June 1, 2024. Cultural activist Monwabisi 'Soulitude' Dasi with collaborators offering jazz, funk, storytelling, rhythm, soul and poetry.
• ethnik (Nikita and Ethan Adams)minorOthersPerforming artist at the Cape Town Climate Concert on June 1, 2024. Dynamic vocalist and guitar duo blending pop, rock, gospel, jazz, folk, and acoustic covers.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• 350.org: Global grassroots climate movement focused on mobilising people to end fossil fuel use. Comparable to ACA in its movement-based, decentralised organising model and climate litigation/campaign orientation (e.g., 350 Africa's fossil fuel resistance work).
• Fridays for Future: Youth-led global climate strike movement. Directly comparable to ACA as a youth-driven, Africa-active climate advocacy organisation focused on intergenerational justice and policy pressure.
• Centre for Environmental Rights: South African environmental law non-profit that represented ACA in the Cancel Coal case. Closely aligned on fossil fuel litigation, climate justice advocacy, and coalition-based campaigning in Southern Africa.
• groundWork Trust: South African environmental justice organisation and co-applicant with ACA in the Cancel Coal court case. Directly comparable in working on coal, health, and waste issues affecting South African communities and in pursuing strategic litigation.
• Earthlife Africa: South African environmental justice organisation campaigning against fossil fuels and nuclear. Highly comparable as a fellow NGO pursuing climate litigation and advocacy in South Africa, with a longer history than ACA in the same strategic space.
• Project 90 by 2030: South African climate change organisation focused on just transition and equitable climate solutions. Direct peer — partnered with ACA on Cape Town Climate Week workshops and shares the South African climate-justice movement space.
• Fossil Free South Africa: South African campaign coalition working to end fossil fuel financing. Direct peer collaborating with ACA on Cape Town Climate Week finance/fossil fuels panels and operating in the same fossil-fuel divestment and policy advocacy niche.

Broad incumbents

• Greenpeace Africa: Established pan-African environmental campaigning organisation with broader remit across forests, oceans, food, and fossil fuels. Comparable to ACA in mobilising African civil society on climate, but with vastly larger resources and a wider portfolio than ACA's youth-climate focus.
• Climate Action Network (CAN) Africa: Umbrella network of African climate civil society organisations. Comparable as an institutional peer ACA participates in and aligns with on advocacy coordination, though CAN is a coordination layer rather than a grassroots movement operator.

Emerging players

• African Youth Climate Assembly: Pan-African youth climate assembly coordinating African youth positions ahead of COPs. Highly comparable as an Africa-focused, youth-led climate advocacy peer, though at an earlier stage of operational consolidation than ACA.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/africanclimatealliance
• Facebookfacebook.com/africanclimatealliance
• Instagraminstagram.com/africanclimatealliance
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/african-climate-alliance

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 african climate alliance