Nedbank and Kusini accelerate the future of water access through innovative funding model
Johannesburg – 15 June 2026
In communities across South Africa where access to safe, affordable drinking water remains a daily challenge, the Nedbank Kusini Accelerator Programme is showing how practical enterprise development can help turn an essential service into a source of local economic opportunity.
Nedbank supports the development of young entrepreneurs who operate solar-powered water kiosks in underserved communities through its partnership with the Kusini Foundation. The programme's water champions help improve access to clean drinking water while building businesses that create jobs, support community health and stimulate local economies.
More than 11 million South Africans lack reliable access to safe drinking water, particularly in rural and peri-urban communities. The programme responds to this challenge by equipping local entrepreneurs with the business training, mentorship and growth support they need to provide reliable water services in their own communities.
A key part of the programme's value lies in how it connects community-level water access with a more sustainable model for enterprise growth. Water champions are not only trained to run solar-powered water kiosks but are also supported to build businesses that can serve their communities consistently and grow over time.
This approach is central to Nedbank's Green Economy Social Impact Strategy that has evolved beyond once-off grant funding towards concessionary funding models that help green enterprises prove their ability to scale and become commercially investable. For the Kusini Accelerator Programme, this gives participating water champions a clearer route from early-stage support to future growth funding. Nedbank has funded the creation of 100 kiosk owners/water champions and created 184 jobs in partnership with Kusini.
The programme's 3-phase approach combines enterprise development, accelerator support and access to commercial finance. The top-performing water champions progress to accelerator funding and ultimately become eligible for concessionary finance to scale their operations.
According to Poovi Pillay, Executive Head of Group Corporate and Social Investment at Nedbank, the programme reflects the bank's commitment to developing innovative funding solutions that drive systemic change. 'The progression of the Nedbank Kusini Accelerator Programme from grant funding to concessionary funding demonstrates our belief that social impact and economic sustainability must go hand in hand,' Pillay explains. 'We are not only helping entrepreneurs to launch businesses, but we are also creating pathways for them to build commercially viable enterprises that can scale their impact and contribute meaningfully to South Africa's green economy in the long term.'
Nedbank's Green Economy Social Impact Strategy, launched in 2021, supports enterprise development in water and sanitation, renewable energy, regenerative agriculture, and waste and recycling. Over the past 4 years it has generated more than R300 million in social value, supported over 1 300 enterprises, created more than 2 300 jobs and invested over R140 million in green economy projects. The strategy prioritises youth, women and people with disabilities, ensuring that economic opportunities are extended to those who have historically been excluded from mainstream economic participation.
'Nedbank was the first financial institution to align its social impact strategy directly to the green economy,' says Pillay. 'Concessionary funding enables us to provide entrepreneurs with the support they need to prove viability, attract further investment and create resilient ecosystems that benefit entire communities.'
Building on the success already achieved, the Nedbank Kusini water champions programme is now aiming to train and support more than 30 more entrepreneurs, accelerate 10 high-performing enterprises through growth funding and establish a dedicated concessionary loan fund to support future expansion.
In order to achieve these ambitious targets, Nedbank and Kusini encourage entrepreneurs who are passionate about clean water access, community development and green enterprise to apply for the programme.
'At Nedbank, we believe that financial expertise can and should be used to do good for individuals, families, businesses and society,' Pillay emphasises. 'Through partnerships like this one with Kusini, we are delivering on that purpose by leveraging innovative finance to unlock opportunity, empower communities and help build a more inclusive and sustainable future.'
Entrepreneurs who are interested in applying for the Nedbank Kusini Accelerator Programme can get more information at https://kusiniwater.co.za/water-champions/.
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