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- Direct city lending heralds a new era for circular financing
Direct city lending heralds a new era for circular financing
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 | The African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved a $139 million loan to the City of Johannesburg for critical infrastructure, including solid waste management. As the Bank’s first direct loan to a subnational entity in Africa, the deal signals a shift toward empowering cities directly to lead on infrastructure and circular economy solutions. |
For a continent where funding for cities has typically flowed through national governments, this deal marks a shift, boosting municipal focus on infrastructure and circular economy investments.
Though still rare, direct subnational lending to cities is an emerging trend in Africa seen as key to unlocking faster, more accountable investment in essential infrastructure including waste management.
Our take: Giving cities more control over finances is not just practical, it's overdue..… Read more (2 min)
 | Kenya’s Sustainable Waste Management Act and the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations are reshaping how businesses manage waste. But many companies are struggling with the cost of compliance, according to the CEO of the Kenya Extended Producer Responsibility Organisation (KEPRO), James Odongo. |
He notes that compliance is an expensive affair that has caught many businesses off guard, especially those that were not previously involved in any structured waste management efforts.
In an interview, Mr Odongo explains how KEPRO is supporting businesses to comply with Kenya’s EPR regulations while at the same time balancing the interests of the various players in the country’s circular economy.
Find the full conversation here… Read more (2 min)
 | A new report by KPMG and Circle Economy, released on 30 June, shows that Africa was among the lowest recipients of global investment in circular businesses between 2018 and 2023. The continent ranked fourth out of five regions, securing just 2% of tracked funding, an annual average of $500 million. |
Africa’s circular economy is dominated by informal businesses that lack registration, financial records, or scaling plans, keeping them below the threshold for formal investment.
Most funding instruments target formal, high-growth ventures, yet Africa’s circular economy needs small, flexible capital that aligns with community-led, low-tech business realities.
Our take: The focus on formal, high-growth ventures risks marginalising the informal sector that currently drives much of Africa’s circular activit…Read more (2 min)
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Women document plastic pollution along Nairobi River in Kenya
Events
🗓️ Network at the WASTE 360 conference in South Africa (July 8)
🗓️ Register for Circular Economy & Bioeconomy conference in S.Africa (July 23)
🗓️ Attend the Plastics Recycling Show Middle East & Africa in Dubai (September 15)
🗓️ Take part in the ESG Africa Conference in South Africa (October 15)
🗓️ Learn more about e-waste at the Africa E-Waste Conference (October 16)
🗓️ Participate in the Nature and Circularity Week in South Africa (October 20)
🗓️ Sign up for the Waste Treatment 2025 Conference & Exhibition (October 24)
Jobs
👷Apply for Circular Business Advisory Expert role at Bopinc (Kenya)
👷Be the next Senior Finance Advisor for a recycling project at Technoserve (Nigeria)
👷 Work as a Senior Associate Waste at XSML Capital (Kenya)
👷 Help First Quantum Minerals manage waste (Zambia)
👷 Consult for the International Telecommunication Union (Africa)
Various
♻️ IES refurbishes solar home systems for rural communities in Ethiopia
🤝 Nigeria, Ghana collaborate to tackle plastic pollution in the Gulf of Guinea
📼 GIZ Ghana concludes three-year circular project on plastic waste
♻️ New data shows liquid board carton and PET plastic recycling in SA is on the rise
🪱 ICIPE discovers plastic-eating worm
💰 Norad announces grants to tackle plastic waste in Africa
⛔ Lagos begins ban on single-use plastics
Seen on LinkedIn
Marijn van der Werf, Product & Solutions Partner Oncology at Roche Diagnostics Nederland asks, “Thousands of laboratories across Africa rely on diagnostics instruments as they play a vital role in informing treatment decisions in healthcare. But what happens when these instruments reach the end of their life?”