The advent of climate change and green economy has created a need for policies and strategies that address these issues. In South Africa the national government and some local government authorities formulated policies seeking to ensure a smooth transition into a green economy. However, formulating policies differs markedly from the successful implementation of the same policies. The article examines the implementation of green economy policies using a case study approach. The 5-C framework used in the paper recognises five variables in the implementation process as (1) content, (2) commitment, (3) capacity, (4) clients and (5) coalitions, which act together, often simultaneously and synergistically, but always in a complex fashion, to create both opportunities and challenges in policy implementation. The research reveals that a number of initiatives, such as green buildings, green transport (A Re Yeng Bus Rapid Transit System) and g