Greetings, Circular South Africa Community!
Updates from Circular South Africa | September 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 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!
We’d like to give a warm shout-out to the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) and the Netherlands Embassy in Pretoria for their ongoing support of Circular South Africa. Our progress and achievements to date would not have been possible without their commitment, and we are deeply grateful.
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CSA invites you to the next Breaking Silos session taking place on 18 September 2025 from 11:00 – 12:30.
This online networking session is dedicated to connecting stakeholders across agriculture and food systems, with a focus on collaboration and circular solutions.
This is an opportunity to engage, share knowledge, and explore opportunities that strengthen circular food systems in South Africa.
The session will also highlight three Spotlight organisations from the CSA network, who will present their work in advancing the circular economy. |
The 2025 Nature & Circularity Conferences will take place from 20 October to 23 October 2025. This two-day event will advance systems thinking, regenerative practices, and circular innovation. It will bring together professionals and practitioners from environmental governance, business, design, and community development.
The programme will cover topics including the Rights of Nature, biomimicry, nature-based design, circular business models, food systems, and inclusive approaches to waste. The conference will provide a platform to exchange knowledge, build connections, and explore opportunities for collaboration.
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Join the circular economy conversation at the 8th annual Market Systems Symposium (MSS) 2025, a premier global event for systems thinkers, practitioners, and innovators working to transform economic systems. Hosted by Vikāra Institute in Durban, South Africa, from 28-30 October 2025, MSS will spotlight circular economy innovations while also diving into themes such as youth employment, resilience, entrepreneurial ecosystems, financing beyond aid and more. This is more than a learning event; it’s a space to co-create practical strategies and partnerships for systemic change.
CSA partners receive an exclusive registration discount (enquire with annegrethe@vikarainstitute.org) |
GreenCape, , in partnership with Wesgro, has launched a practical guide to help CEOs build resilience and competitiveness through circular economy practices. The guide introduces a 7-step process for managing material shocks, showcases inspiring Cape Town case studies, and unpacks the implications of landfill bans for industry. It also provides access to 150+ funding opportunities, tools for measuring circular performance, and resources to embed circularity into business strategies. This publication is a valuable resource for leaders aiming to strengthen value chains and future-proof their organisations..
Reuse and refill models are key to reducing plastic pollution, with packaging making up most plastic leakage into South Africa’s waterways and oceans (IUCN-EA-QUANTIS, 2020).
This fact sheet, developed through the SA Circular Lab (SACiLa) project led by Plastics SA with ACEN and funded by GIZ, shares local learnings, interventions, and success factors to support scaling reuse models across the value chain.
On 9 September 2025, CSA and ACEN participated in a panel discussion hosted by Impact Amplifier at Nedbank’s Green Economy Indaba and Awards on Scaling Circular Innovation: Ecosystems, Enablers, and Equity.
Networks, visibility, developing invovations, supportive policy, and aligned funding models were identified as essential ingredients for transformation. The discussion highlighted that both corporates and givernment play a critical role in creating the enabling environment entrepreneurs need to scale their innovations. Being among the early implementers in the circular economy is not easy, and even with strong solutions, innovators face real challenges in breaking into the market.
The panel was moderated by Thaven Naidoo (Impact Amplifier) and included Gabriella Shukor (CSA/ACEN), Prof. Linda Godfrey (CSIR), Alina Mthembu (DSTI), Gabriella Makonese (Nedbank), and Onnica Toko Matshedo (Macluminium Trading)
The session concluded with the launch of the Nedbank ReNEW Accelerator Programme, which offers selected circular economy innovators up to R1,000,000 in funding per business, alongside tailored acceleration support.
Applications are now open! Deadline 9 October 2025.
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On 19 August 2025, Circular South Africa (CSA), together with ACEN, Plastics SA, and GIZ, hosted a webinar on scaling reuse–refill packaging models in South Africa.
The session presented insights from the SA Circular Lab (SACiLa) South African Reusable Packaging Solutions in the Plastics Value Chain project and explored how reuse–refill models can reduce single-use plastic packaging.
The panel included Josephine Katumba (Gcwalisa), Sharon Rapetswa (Triple Shine Foundation NPC), and Paul Rubin (Nude Foods). |
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On 21 August 2025, Circular South Africa (CSA), in partnership with UJ PEETS, hosted the Introduction to the Circular Economy Masterclass. The session brought together entrepreneurs, innovators, and practitioners working to advance the circular economy in South Africa. |
The session covered circular economy principles, transitioning from linear to circular models, strategies including circular business models, real-world examples from South Africa, and a case study presentation from Wood2Wood on digital technologies supporting a circular wood value chain. |
Metal packaging is infinitely recyclable, with no loss of quality, making it a key contributor to South Africa’s circular economy. MetPac-SA continues to drive initiatives that strengthen collection, recycling, and the use of post-consumer recycled content in packaging.
Aligned with the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations, MetPac-SA focuses on designing for recyclability and ensuring true consumer waste is returned into the loop. These efforts conserve resources, save energy, and support value creation in the recycling sector.
The 2025 Youth Ecopreneur Programme (YECO), led by the International Trade Centre (ITC) through the Ye! Community and the G20 Global Land Initiative/UNCCD, is open for applications. The programme supports youth entrepreneurs developing circular and sustainable business solutions, offering access to resources, networks, and opportunities to grow their enterprises.
The application takes 30–40 minutes to complete and requires a passport, business certificate, and pitch deck. Applications must be completed in one sitting, with questions available in advance.
New in 2025 is a Fast Track option, enabling eligible businesses to enter directly into the Accelerator phase by submitting additional responses and a short motivational video. Eligible countries are listed.
Deadline: 14 September 2025
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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