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Arbor City Awards
NATIONAL ARBOR CITY AWARDS 2025
BACKGROUND & INTRODUCTION
The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) established the National Arbor City Awards (NACA) in 2002 in terms of Chapter 4, section 32 of the National Forests Act, 1998 (Act No. 84 of 1998) and in terms of the National Greening Strategy (2006). The NACA are a quest to promote environmental greening and development thereby securing sustainable and healthy living environment for settlement areas in South Africa.
The National Arbor City Awards (NACA) were formed as a partnership initiative between the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, TotalEnergies, the Institute for Environment and Recreation Management (IERM), the South African National Biodiversity Institute and the South African Local Government Association, with a purpose to encourage Municipalities to green their areas of jurisdiction.
The NACA competition provides incentives and rewards to Municipalities who are doing their best in terms of greening, especially in townships and new settlement areas. There are South African Municipalities who are making great strides to expand greening and other landscape developments from the past focus on towns and suburbs to also include townships and new settlements areas.
This move has rewarded the latter areas with street trees and recreational parks, some of which have introduced health and fitness facilities.
INTRODUCTION OF NEW COMPETITION CATEGORIES
For 2025, there are new categories that have been added to the National Arbor City Awards Competition, namely the Non-Governmental Organisation, School Greening and Municipal-Individual Contribution. Additionally, Municipalities can now enter the Youth Participation in Greening Category by directly submitting an entry form and Portfolio of Evidence specifically for this category.
THE NATIONAL ARBOR CITY AWARDS
AND CLIMATE CHANGE
It is now a known fact that the world in general is starting to feel the effects of global warming due to climate change. This phenomenon is an environmental threat resulting from emissions of Green House Gases in the atmosphere. All of us will have to face this phenomenon head on by adopting mitigation strategies and adapt our actions towards it.
Changes in climate may have significant effects on various sectors globally. Tree planting, which forms the basis of NACA is one of the mitigating factors that are recommended towards the slowing down of this environmental threat. It is for this reason that DFFE is pursuing the NACA together with the National Arbor Month Campaign and the Ten Million Trees Programme. It is acknowledged that tree planting initiatives will have to rely on other supporting programmes such as environmental education and awareness to inform and educate society in general on the importance of trees within the environment, and their role in mitigating environmental threats.
The National Arbor City Awards are conducted in line with the DFFE National Greening Strategy (2006) which defines greening as an integrated approach to the planting, care and management of all vegetation in urban and rural areas, to secure multiple benefits for communities and the citizens in general. Greening is a task that requires multi-disciplinary approaches that include precise scientific knowledge and skills, socio - economic balancing and planning.
CRITERIA
The judging criteria focus on the following aspects:
Greening policy and strategy
Greening plan
Conservation and protection of trees
Concept and implementation plan on advancing the Ten Million Trees Programme
Future tree planting
Tree Maintenance
Tree Administration
Tree By laws
Education and awareness on Environmental Greening
Partnerships in Greening and Environmental Conservation
COMPETITION ENTRIES
Entries for the competition will be handled as follows:
DFFE National and regional offices will send competition information and requirements to organisations
The IERM will circulate competition information and entry requirements via their network of Municipalities
Competition information and requirements will be posted on the DFFE and IERM Websites and social media platforms.
REQUIREMENTS FOR ENTRY
Entry requirements for the Metropolitan Municipalities Category are as follows:
- Portfolio of evidence showing mainly: Concept on strategy and implementation plan to advance the Ten Million Trees Programme
- Current and future tree planting projects to advance the Ten Million Tree Programme
- Greening policy or strategy, tree register, maintenance plans and budget
- Portfolio of evidence in videos or pictures depicting projects, sites and, special trees
- A narrative not exceeding two pages indicating why the Municipality hopes to be the winner of the National Arbor City Award
- Municipalities must submit entry forms and Poe’s electronically using the email addresses in the advert and entry. Both electronic and hard copy entry forms and POEs will be accepted.
Entry requirements for Small Rural Local Municipalities Category (municipalities with potential) are as follows:
- Concept on strategy and implementation plan to advance the Ten Million Trees Programme Current and future tree planting projects to advance the Ten Million Trees Programme
- Evidence showing potential in greening
- A written account of environmental and greening projects by the municipality
- A narrative not exceeding two pages indicating why the Municipality hopes to be the winner of the National Arbor City Awards
- Municipalities must submit entry forms and Poe’s electronically using the email addresses provided in the advert and entry form. Both electronic and hard copy entry forms and POEs will be accepted.
Entry requirements for the Metropolitan Municipalities Category are as follows:
- Portfolio of evidence showing mainly: Concept on strategy and implementation plan to advance the Ten Million Trees Programme
- Current and future tree planting projects to advance the Ten Million Tree Programme
- Greening policy or strategy, tree register, maintenance plans and budget
- Portfolio of evidence in videos or pictures depicting projects, sites and, special trees
- A narrative not exceeding two pages indicating why the Municipality hopes to be the winner of the National Arbor City Award • Municipalities must submit entry forms and Poe’s electronically using the email addresses in the advert and entry
Entry requirements for Municipal-Youth Participation in Greening Category are as follows:
- Portfolio of evidence showing youth involvement in greening projects i.e. concept/plan for youth participation
- A written account of environmental and greening projects that involve the youth by the municipality.
- Report on number of work opportunities created by the municipality in relation to greening projects
- Report on youth funding/sponsorship/donation to projects related to greening and/or agriculture.
- Both electronic and hard copy entry forms and POEs will be accepted.
Entry requirements Non-Governmental Organisations Category are as follows:
- Concept on strategy for the NGO to advance the Ten Million Trees Programme
- Portfolio of Evidence on tree planting projects indicating number of trees planted for the past three years, tree planting areas, care and maintenance of trees.
- Portfolio of Evidence on special greening projects i.e. control and management of alien invasive plants, reforestation/tree planting projects, land rehabilitation, water conservation, waste management or clean up campaigns.
- A written account of environmental education and awareness campaigns
- A written account of partnerships in greening projects
Showcase of championship in the compilation of Portfolio of Evidence for the Municipality
- Outstanding communication of the Portfolio of Evidence during adjudication process
- Current and future tree planting projects to advance the Ten Million Trees Programme
- Outstanding showcase and narration of greening projects
NB: The individual contribution category is only limited to Municipalities that will be shortlisted for final round of adjudications.
National Arbor City Awards Competition Adjudication Process
The evaluation is done based on portfolios of evidence received from Municipalities, NGO’s and schools and the first shortlisting is done. The shortlisted organisations are then further evaluated as follows:
- Panel members visit projects of final shortlisted organisations to verify PoE’s. Organisations are required to prepare a PowerPoint presentation, Video Clip, Photographs showcasing greening projects contained in the submitted PoE, this is followed by physical project visits.
- Panel will complete scoring sheets
- An average score will be calculated to determine the winner
- The process is subject to ratification by DFFE Deputy Minister
The evaluation panel will be composed as follows
National Arbor City Awards Ceremony and Prizes
The National Arbor City Awards Ceremony is combined with the National Arbor Month launch event (which is usually held on 1 September). The leaders of the winning organisations will be invited by DFFE to receive the prizes at the awards ceremony.
National Arbor City Awards Competition Feedback
Organisations that enter the NACA competition will receive written feedback from DFFE after the adjudication process has been concluded. This is conducted to assist organisations in their future greening projects, and to prepare them for subsequent entries into the competition.
National Arbor City Awards Competition Enquiries
Michael Modise
Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment
012 309 5787/066 487 6949
mimodise@dffe.gov.za
Nosipho Ndzimbomvu
Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment
012 309 5883/066 487 6993
nndzimbomvu@dffe.gov.za