The Top 40 under 40 is a showcase of local business talent under the age of 40 compiled by the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber (NMBBC).
Brigitte Jones (38), the Owner of Green Bean Financial Management, is leading the charge in sustainable small office environments and she’s doing it in style.
Jones, a chartered accountant, combines her love of finance and her passion for green issues at The Co-Op, a sustainable office space owned by her in partnership, and home to a number of small enterprises. “I have always found offices to be very wasteful environments,” says Jones, who left the corporate environment in 2010. To this end, every piece of furniture in the Co-Op’s low impact office space is recycled and repurposed in sustainable style. The effect is one of effortless eco-chic in a space that breaks from the traditional South African office. The greened office building has no geyser and a strict recycling programme.
A rainwater tank to support a vegetable garden is planned for the near future, and clients are served Fair Trade certified coffee. For Jones, it’s about making small changes to big effect.
“My goal is to translate the big company mindset into sustainable governance for small business,” she says. “Every small business should have a handle on their finances, and a view towards sustainability in every way that counts.”

Original Image by: Sandy Coffey Photography.
The Top 40 Under 40 list, an NMBBC initiative, was compiled from nominations and selected by an independent panel at the NMBBC. The end result is a showcase of talented and ambitious young businesspeople from diverse sectors in Nelson Mandela Bay. From 7 December 2011, MyPE showcases one under 40 achiever a day.
See all the Top 40 Under 40 HERE.
Alan Straton
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