There is significant research being conducted on the spekboom (Portulacaria afra) in the region. This remarkable plant is unique in that it stores solar energy to photosynthesise at night. This makes spekboom thicket 10 times more effective per hectare at carbon fixing than any tropical rain forest.
This has phenomenal commercial value for the Eastern Cape as a whole, as developed industrial nations will engage in carbon trading with the region. Already farmers are being encouraged to rehabilitate their land for financial benefit and Germany and the USA are already pouring in funds for carbon trading.
This could not have come at a better time as a 15 year study has shown that the earth of the region is not viable for commercial stock or crop farming, and many farmers were facing financial collapse. With rehabilitation, the indigenous vegetation has the highest carrying capacity per hectare for indigenous herbivores in the world and therefore the tourism opportunities are endless.