In 2019 Nedbank took its partnership with WWF-SA to the next level by entering into a five- year, R25 million water source area conservation partnership. The focus of this programme is on the protection and development of effective water ecosystems that consider the need to protect SAÕs essential water source areas, while at the same time supporting communities that rely on these areas for their livelihoods. The new partnership prioritizes support of water security, reducing land degradation and improving local economic opportunities for rural communities in the Eastern Cape, which is home to the second-largest water source area in SA. The hope is that, over the five years of the partnership, the project will come to showcase the value of a water source partnership model and deliver valuable learning and insights that can be replicated nationally.