Greetings, Circular South Africa Community!
Updates from Circular South Africa | November 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.
CSA presents its 2025 reflections.
Thank you to all our supporters, collaborators and contributors. We would not, and could not have this community without you. |
Two insights we’re excited to share from our 2025 Circular Economy Knowledge Survey:
1. Most South Africans are self-taught in circular economy.
Respondents said they rely on NGOs, social media, and online resources – not universities or government – to learn about circularity.
2. Circularity is happening… but mostly at the “waste” end.
Most organisations said they focus on Reduce–Reuse–Recycle, while very few are engaging with Rethink, Refuse, and Regenerate.
Our full report will be published in early 2026 so keep an eye out!
The Circular Economy: Building a Just & Regenerative Future
CSA is launching a new Udemy courseand we’re opening early registration to our community. Three CSA experts will be guiding you through the models, mindsets, and real-world examples shaping a more equitable, climate-resilient economy.
In this course, you’ll:
Get a clear, practical grasp of circular economy principles, without any prior knowledge needed.
Explore how circularity is transforming food systems, mining, manufacturing, packaging, and the built environment in SA.
Understand what a just transition really means and why it matters for jobs, equity, and community impact.
Learn how to apply circular thinking in your studies, your work, or your business, as well as how to develop a circular business model or project idea.
See how circular design links directly to social impact and inclusive economic growth.
If you want to develop future-ready skills and be among the early adopters driving circular practice in South Africa, this course is built for you.
CSA, RanMarine Technology, and the V&A Waterfront have entered into a partnership to introduce the RanMarine “Adopt a Shark” programme in Cape Town. The programme brings RanMarine’s Autonomous Surface Vessels (ASVs) to local waterways, including the WasteShark, CyanoShark, and MegaShark, which support waste removal, water-quality management, and data collection.
The initiative marks the return of the WasteShark concept to its point of origin at the V&A Waterfront, where the idea was first developed before being refined in Rotterdam. CSA supports the rollout, while the V&A Waterfront hosts and manages local operations.
The Cape Town rollout will continue through the year, with plans to extend the programme to surrounding marinas, rivers, lakes, and harbours in 2026/27.
CSA announces a new partnership with Impact Amplifier in support of the Nedbank ReNEW Programme.
This partnership will strengthen support for South African businesses that are advancing circular economy solutions in the waste sector. The role of private sector participation and targeted funding remains central to enabling growth within circular systems and expanding opportunities across the economy.
Circular Innovation South Africa (CISA), an initiative of the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation hosted by the CSIR, supports government’s circular economy objectives as outlined in national STI frameworks.
The upcoming webinar will outline progress within the initiative and show how its work supports Human Capital Development, Research and Development, and Innovation in the circular economy space. Prof Linda Godfrey will reflect on CISA’s journey, current focus areas, and its contribution to South Africa’s transition toward circularity. |
The WEEE are SA platform is now available on the CSA Knowledge Hub. The platform provides information on responsible consumption, reuse, recovery, and recycling of e-waste in South Africa. It serves as a central resource for individuals, businesses, and institutions seeking guidance on handling electronic products and managing e-waste in a responsible manner.
On 15 October, CSA participated in the Fund for Local Cooperation launch hosted by the Embassy of Finland in Pretoria. The event introduced three projects aligned with circular economy themes in water and mining, as well as human rights. CSA’s Gabriella Shukor contributed as a guest speaker and outlined the current state of circularity in South Africa. The launch highlighted initiatives led by ICLEI, WomHub, and the Institute for Security Studies. CSA will continue to follow developments and engage in ongoing dialogue on collaboration and circularity in South Africa.
Nature and Circularity Week took place on 20–23 October at the Sustainability Institute in Stellenbosch. The event brought together participants to examine the relationship between nature and circularity.
Day 1 focused on the Human (In) Nature Conference. The plenary session examined links between law, society, business, and biodiversity. Speakers outlined perspectives on the role of people in natural systems. The programme continued with masterclasses that allowed participants to engage with themes related to the rights of nature and approaches to restore balance between people and the planet.
Day 2 marked the South African Circular Summit, which highlighted circular business models in South Africa. The plenary covered topics including food systems, waste, textiles, and manufacturing. The SOLVE Challenge provided a platform for youth-led and community ideas. CSA participated as part of the judging panel for the Circular Innovation Challenge. The summit reflected the role of circular design and innovation in South Africa’s transition
The Challenger Digital and Green Accelerator Programme is inviting start-ups from South Africa, Namibia, and Botswana to apply. The call targets enterprises developing digital, green, or circular solutions that address climate adaptation, food systems, water, energy, mobility, and waste. The programme will support up to 25 early-stage start-ups to strengthen business models, build investment readiness, and connect with investors, mentors, and markets across Africa and Europe.
At the start of 2025, CSA introduced illustrations outlining circular economy opportunities across South Africa’s resource-intensive sectors. This work was followed by a commitment to highlight people and organisations contributing to South Africa’s circular transition.
We’ve covered Mining, Human Settlements, Mobility, Energy, Manufacturing, Water, and Agriculture with thanks to the guests who shared their expertise:
• Kevin Kimwelle: The Urgency of Sustainability and Circularity in Design
• Rashiq Fataar (Our Future Cities – Working Today for Better Cities of Tomorrow.): Getting Walkability Right – Insights from the Global South |
• Dr. Frans Smit (North-West University / Noordwes-Universiteit): A Circular Economy Framework for Refurbishing End-of-Life Solar Panels
• George van der Schyff (CRDC_SA): Solutions to All Plastic Waste
• Romy Stander (Water for the Future Global South): Circular Approaches to Water Systems in South Africa
• Gugulethu Mahlangu (House Harvest): Aquaponics, Indigenous Crops, and Circular Solutions in Agriculture
(ICMM): Circularity in the Mining Industry |
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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