GreenMatter

GreenMatter is a South African non-profit that develops skilled environmental leaders. GreenMatter implements the national Biodiversity Human Capital Development Strategy and is co-led by the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) and the Lewis Foundation, according to a provider record checked in August 2026.

Registered name

GreenMatter

Type

Non-profit network (environmental skills development)

Fields funded

Postgraduate study, including PhD fellowships, in biodiversity and sustainability

Website

greenmatterza.com

GreenMatter’s mission

GreenMatter describes its mission as unlocking South Africa’s environmental, social and economic vitality by developing environmental leaders with the knowledge, skills and tools to drive sustainable transitions for people and nature. GreenMatter’s vision is a South Africa whose citizens sustainably manage and protect the environment for generations to come.

GreenMatter argues that ecosystems are more than natural infrastructure. GreenMatter calls them foundational assets and life support systems that provide critical services for human activity and wellbeing, a view that shapes the kind of leaders GreenMatter wants to train.

Four pillars of work

GreenMatter organises its work around four strategic pillars, designed to build on one another. Through those pillars, GreenMatter designs and delivers skills development programmes and drives collaboration for change across the environmental sector, running bursary, mentorship and career development programmes for students.

The GreenMatter PhD fellowship

GreenMatter’s fellowships support postgraduate students, including a PhD fellowship at the University of Cape Town for talented researchers working on critical biodiversity and sustainability challenges, according to BursariesAfrica’s earlier guide. Fellows receive funding together with leadership development and access to GreenMatter’s network.

Our GreenMatter guide has not been refreshed with 2027 dates, so confirm current calls on GreenMatter’s website.

How to research GreenMatter fellowships

Read GreenMatter’s about page and pillars before applying, and think about how your research addresses a real environmental or social problem, such as water security, restoration or climate adaptation. GreenMatter looks for leaders, so describe how you plan to use your research beyond your thesis.

Contact GreenMatter to ask whether a fellowship call is open, which universities and research areas qualify, and whether the fellowship can be combined with NRF or university funding. Speak to supervisors at UCT or your own university about GreenMatter-funded projects.

Environmental careers now extend well beyond conservation agencies. Graduates work in municipalities, consultancies, mining rehabilitation, agriculture and finance, where environmental risk increasingly shapes decisions, and GreenMatter’s focus on leadership prepares fellows for that range.

Postgraduate environmental students can compare GreenMatter with other funders on our Postgraduate Bursaries page.