For Kwaxala to review
Kwaxala has not yet seen this page. It describes the organisation only through what it has said or done, and through what others named here have said about it. Kwaxala has spoken with the Forum’s convenors about water rights. Until Kwaxala has approved the text, it may change. Questions for Kwaxala:
- Is this description of Kwaxala and its model correct? What would you like to change?
- Is the account of your conversation with the Forum’s convenors in September 2026 correct?
- What would Kwaxala need to know about water law in South Africa to judge whether its model could work here?
- Should readers reach you through the moderators, or through a public contact?
Kwaxala describes itself as an Indigenous nature regeneration network [MS]. It was founded by the Kwiakah First Nation in British Columbia, Canada, where it turned a licence to log a forest into a right to regenerate it [MS]. In September 2026 Kwaxala’s Director of Vision and Leadership told the Forum’s convenors that Kwaxala wants to work with the valley [MS].
What the letters in square brackets mean
Facts on this page are followed by a tag that shows where they come from.
- [IC] Independently Corroborated. Confirmed by an official record, such as a government notice or a court or council record, or by at least two sources that do not depend on each other.
- [MS] Mission-Sourced. Comes from the organisation’s own website or statements, from the statements of a group it works with, or from the Forum’s own records. It has not been checked against sources that do not depend on them.
- [TBV] To Be Verified. Seems likely, but nobody has confirmed it from a reliable source yet.
At a glance
| Kind | Funder |
| Based in | Not yet known |
| Website | kwaxala.com |
| Role | Investment network for Indigenous-led regeneration [MS] |
| Link to the valley | Possible. It has offered to work with the valley on water rights |
| Contact with the Forum | In conversation. In September 2026 Kwaxala told the Forum’s convenors it wants to work with the valley [MS] |
What it does
Kwaxala’s investors buy Living Forest Shares, which it describes as perpetual units held in exchange for a share of what the forest produces [MS]. Income comes from carbon credits and other services the forest provides [MS]. Kwaxala says it is majority owned by its Indigenous partners, and that more than 90% of the revenue from each forest stays in the local community [MS].
How its work reaches the valley
- The offer. The aim discussed would be to take existing water rights and turn them into rights to regenerate the river’s flow, in the way Kwaxala turned logging rights into rights to regenerate forests [MS]. Nobody has yet worked out how its model would fit South African water law.
- The BioHub. The Valley of Grace BioHub already names Kwaxala as a model to learn from [MS].
Where it touches this site
- From Water Access to Water Agency, an idea not yet agreed, which describes Kwaxala’s model and its offer.
- Restoring the River and Ridge to River to Table, ideas not yet agreed, which build on it.
What is still open
- What form a partnership would take, who in the valley would be Kwaxala’s partner, and whether its investors would fund water.
Have your say
If you know more about Kwaxala’s work in the valley, contact the moderators via How to Submit.
Related
- Organisations Outside the Valley
- Department of Water and Sanitation
- Breede-Olifants Catchment Management Agency
References
- Kwaxala. Home page and About. Its model, Living Forest Shares, ownership, and revenue share.
- Ecosystem Marketplace. State of Private Investment in Nature 2026: Kwaxala. How Kwaxala turns a forest licence into an asset.
- Conversation between Kwaxala’s Director of Vision and Leadership and the Forum’s convenors, September 2026. Kwaxala’s wish to work with the valley.