Lifestyle/Community
Giant SA ‘cacti’ flag will cover 66 hectares
From the purpose-built deck overlooking the Valley of Desolation in the majestic heart of the Karoo, a major initiative was born on October 23. Conceived four years ago, Giant Flag is the brainchild of entrepreneurial maverick Guy Lieberman. It might raise eyebrows with its wild sense of possibility; it might also raise funds, tourism and catches the world’s attention.
ROBYN SASSEN
Pictured: Jimmy Joubert, a Giant Flat trustee; Guy Lieberman, its initiator; and Noel Petersen, Municipal Manager, Camdeboo.
PHOTO BY ROBYN SASSEN
As its name indicates, it’s a South African flag of 66 hectares comprising millions of growing cacti. While the red, white, green, yellow and blue panels of our flag will be represented by succulent species, the black panel will comprise a four megawatt solar field, one third of which will be a canopy roofing a tourist precinct.
It’s designed to harness environmental, social and economic activity, in a bid to break the cycle of poverty in the Camdeboo.
Born of the enthusiastic raptures we all fell into over the Soccer World Cup in 2010, the Giant Flag aims to generate a socio-economic shift. Referring to it as a “game-changing initiative”, Deputy Minister of Tourism Tokozile Xasa said: “The innovative model of the Giant Flag has the potential to implement change in other countries. In addition to socio-economic issues, there are also questions of climate change, food security and the local ecology’s health.”
The Camdeboo municipality, comprising neighbouring Karoo towns Graaff-Reinet, Aberdeen and Nieu Bethesda, with a population of 51 000, has one of the worst income disparities in the country and 40 per cent unemployment.
The environment is semi-arid: agriculture is difficult. The hospitality industry lubricates its economy. The Giant Flag is designed as a pragmatic example of how a low-carbon, innovation economy can function; the aim is for it to be a prototype.
The Giant Flag might be eccentric, egotistical even, in its thinking, but it’s rooted in formalities: a trust was formed to oversee it.
Profits from its activities will be fed into an endowment fund with the purpose of generating further opportunities in the district’s innovation, green and social sectors. But further, it is about sparking a cycle of economic development expanding opportunities, building capabilities and raising living standards sustainably.
The project is in its activation phase – the planting and building of the Flag is expected to begin early next year. Its reach extends in several directions. Directly, the Flag will create 700 jobs. Other employment will be stimulated around it.
“Think hot air ballooning and micro-light sky tours,” says Lieberman, who spent the Shabbos Project in the beautiful area. “Think indigenous honey harvested. Think SMMEs and the marketing of indigenous craft. South Africa needs initiatives that create ecologically sustainable employment opportunities. I cannot think of a more sustainable outcome. If it works, we can really scale up.”
The project requires R170 million in seed funding and it has extensive corporate funding. But it is also focusing on crowd funding. Visit www.giantflag.co.za.