Six years ago, Khweza Environmental Consulting was born in a cramped 1-bedroom apartment, with me working from the edge of my bed because I didnt have a desk and a chair. I had my faith, 10 years of experience in national, provincial and local government working with EIA’s and auditing, a deep concern for sustainability, and a vision big enough to turn a bedroom into a boardroom.
We now have grown into a respected environmental consultancy with over 100 clients across six provinces, a team of passionate young EAPs, and a proud record of protecting South Africa’s natural heritage while keeping development moving.
We’ve faced some wild challenges along the way :
Dealing with auditing an explosive major hazardous facility which taught us that audits aren’t just box-ticking, they’re about preventing the next “Oops, that plume was not steam.”
Another client started building before checking if the land was actually… well, buildable. Cue: The notorious Section 24G, wetland delineation in gumboots, and teaching developers the phrase “duty of care.”
Another development located in a Critical Biodiversity Area with endangered grasslands, we had to balance eco-sensitivity with feasibility and managed after many late nights to ensure a viable “offset”.
But beyond the paperwork and site visits, it’s the people that made this journey worthwhile. Clients who stayed with us. Government officials who came to trust our expertise. Communities who welcomed our presence and not giving us the boot.
And then there’s Mr Dlamini, my very first client. He took a chance on me when my business had no track record, just passion and honesty. Six years on, I still do work for Mr. Dlamini’s companies. That kind of trust is priceless.
Today, Khweza stands for more than compliance and for reminding developers that environmental regulations don’t mean the end of your project, they mean you’re building it right.
Here’s to six years of learning, laughing, leading and laying the foundation for the next decade of impact.
💚 Yours in conservation and compliance,
Nazeer Jamal (Pr. Reg. EAP) (Pr. Sci. Nat.)
Managing Director & Lead Environmental Scientist
Khweza Environmental Consulting