SUSTAINABILITY
“ Sustainability must become a strategic business priority linked to materiality rather than just a nice-to-have.”
The hard realities
In a tense global economy, sustainability often seems like an extra burden, but Muruven maintains it is increasingly a route to competitiveness. Still, he recognises the obstacles.
“ To truly build resilience and adapt, businesses have to look at interventions beyond their fence line.”
“ With geopolitical risks, business leaders have a lot to consider,” he says. The first step is empowering sustainability teams: the material business value needs to be demonstrated to senior leadership.
Data access is another vital barrier.“ In the Global South, we don’ t always have access to the datasets needed – a gap that tech and AI play a critical role in bridging.”
Financing adaptation is just as complex.“ An investment in flood resilience by a hotel protects everybody along a coastline, including a competitor.” Blended finance and collective-action models will become more essential.
The businesses that will excel, he argues, must view sustainability through a strategic lens, beyond the balance sheet.
Lessons from the food and beverage sector
Muruven highlights that food and beverage companies are relatively advanced in grasping climate risk. Their success comes from identifying what is significant, and looking beyond the fenceline. wastewater treatment plants on-site. While promising, these remain pockets of success rather than scaled solutions.
The power of partnerships
“ To truly build resilience and adapt, businesses have to look at interventions beyond their fenceline,” Muruven says. Partnerships with civil society and government are essential, particularly as collective action becomes more urgent.
Muruven believes this space offers“ an exciting” opportunity for new business models, driven by social innovation and policy support. However, scaling these collaborations continues to be a challenge.
South Africa’ s energy crisis, he notes, highlights the need for proactive and innovative thinking. He warns that the next crisis is already taking shape: water.
“ For business, the questions you should be asking now are: Are you ready to make water a strategic priority?
Where will the water shortage create a risk to business continuity, and potentially, where does it open up new opportunities?”
The companies that act early, he says, will not only be in a better position to manage business continuity risks but are more likely to unlock several new growth opportunities along the way. TT
“ Work around water stewardship is a great example,” he says.“ Companies are educating farmers, building awareness, and equipping them with the latest knowledge to ensure that they have a resilient supply chain.”
The hospitality sector is beginning to follow suit. In Kenya, hotels run and operate their own water and
104 TRADE & TASTE / 2026