Greetings, Circular South Africa Community!
Updates from Circular South Africa | July 2025
Circular South Africa (CSA) amplifies the potential of the just circular economy across South Africa by providing a central platform for collaboration and innovation. As the fastest-growing circular platform in the country, CSA supports circular initiatives, connects stakeholders with the right partners, and drives practical and meaningful impact. Our goal is to make circularity accessible and actionable, fostering partnerships and creating opportunities to accelerate the transition to a circular economy.
We are proud to share CSA’s first Impact ReportLaunched in January 2023 as a project of the African Circular Economy Network (ACEN), and supported by seed funding from the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), CSA was created to drive systemic, inclusive change in the circular economy space.
A heartfelt thank you to our funding partner, steering committee, key partners, team members, and everyone who has contributed to this journey. Explore our key milestones, impact highlights, lessons learned, and strategic priorities to strengthen circular economy efforts across South Africa. |
CSA has developed a national circular economy knowledge survey to better understand the current level of circular economy knowledge, perceptions, and awareness among South African stakeholders.
The survey aims to capture insights from across the ecosystem and where work is still needed to build momentum and advance circular economy development.
The survey will take approximately 10 minutes to complete. Please share across your networks.
By participating in this survey, you’ll be entered into a draw to win the book: ABC & D: Creating a Regenerative Circular Economy for All Ken Webster, as well as 4x Kefir Life Priobitic drinks!
CSA is committed to highlighting the impact of circular practices across South Africa through the #MyCircularStory Campaign. This initiative showcases the journeys of grassroots innovators to industry leaders driving the circular economy in the country.
If you or your organisation are implementing circular practices, we would love to hear from you. Email us at info@circularsouthafrica.co.za to share your story and help inspire others on the path to a more regenerative future.
How are circular approaches shaping water management, reuse, and infrastructure planning?
Join this Circular Lunch Club on 30 July from 13:00 to 13:30, hosted by CSA in partnership with Water for the Future, to explore how circular thinking is being applied in the water sector.
The session will unpack emerging practices, collaborative approaches, and opportunities to improve efficiency and resilience through circular water solutions. |
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The 2025 SAPRO Awards for Best Recycled Plastic Products are now open. The awards recognise efforts across the plastics value chain to advance the use of recycled plastic in product development.
Companies and individuals with products made fully or partially from recycled plastic are invited to submit entries. Winning entries will be announced at the SAPRO Awards ceremony on 27 August at the Indaba Hotel, Fourways, and will receive industry exposure.
Deadline for submitting entries is 31 July 2025
On 22 May CSA hosted the first of its kind Breaking Silos session which reinforced the need for cross-sector engagement in the circular economy space. The Community Spotlight, with contributions from Bernd Oellermann, Frank van Velzen, and Gamuchirai Mutezo, highlighted practical approaches to collaboration.
On the 19th of June, CSA joined the 10th Annual Green Youth Indaba for a panel discussion on Circular Economy and the Township Economy: Rethinking South Africa’s Circular Economy and How Local Solutions Can Meet Global Challenges.
Key takeaways included
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At IFAT Africa 2025, Circular South Africa (CSA) hosted a session on Upstream Prevention, Downstream Innovation: A Circular Approach to Food Waste and Loss.
The discussion explored circular strategies across the food value chain, from innovation at source to redistribution and repurposing. Speakers highlighted the need for a national food waste policy and stronger coordination across sectors.
Contributions came from Linda Manyeza (Food Masters Africa), Andy Du Plessis (FoodForward SA), Aluwani Nemukula (Agricultural Research Council), and Daniel M. Motshwane (Afrique Rising Trading), moderated by COO of African Circular Economy Network (ACEN), Circular Economy Adviser and Lead at Circular South Africa (CSA) Katharina Gihring.
A new retail pilot in Diepsloot is testing a refill-based model to improve food affordability and reduce packaging waste in underserved communities.
Led by Sonke (Pty) Ltd, with support from the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), the initiative Skubu offers staple products like maize meal, cooking oil, sugar, rice, and detergent at significantly reduced prices.
Customers bring their own containers and pay per kilogram or litre, allowing them to buy according to need while avoiding the higher costs often associated with small-packaged goods.
The pilot offers a practical approach to strengthening food system resilience and cutting plastic waste through accessible, community-based solutions.
Would you like to share an upcoming event, initiative, news please or have general feedback on how we can improve our newsletter? Please email us at info@circularsouthafrica.co.za
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