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The opportunity in Africa's healthcare waste management gap

August 26, 2026

Dear subscriber,

That Africa has a healthcare waste problem is well known. Yet this is often reduced to what happens after waste leaves a facility. Here is another side of the story. We explore what the continent could be missing—and where businesses find opportunity.

Mercy Maina – Editor

As African health systems seek to strengthen essential services, gaps in healthcare waste management represent a circular economy opportunity. Only 24% of healthcare facilities in sub-Saharan Africa had basic waste-management services in 2025, compared with 71% globally, highlighting the demand for solutions. 

  • The WHO/UNICEF's latest report on Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) services in health facilities emphasises the need to strengthen waste management, with WHO guidance supporting approaches aligned with circular-economy principles. 

  • For businesses, the gap creates opportunities across collection, treatment, recycling and resource recovery as health facilities seek to meet environmental requirements while managing waste-related costs. 

  • Our take: The biggest opportunity is likely upstream, in better segregation, creating a case for the market to move beyond standalone disposal services towards integrated systems… Read more (2 min)

Circular economy initiatives across Africa attracted an estimated $3.6 million in external funding in July, the second-lowest monthly total recorded so far this year and far below the $111.5 million January–June average. Deal activity was subdued, with just three transactions recorded across West and North Africa, highlighting a sharp slowdown in capital flows.

  • West Africa dominated funding, accounting for $2.9 million of the total, with Nigeria and Senegal recording one deal each. 

  • Early-stage financing remained the dominant model, with two venture rounds and one private- equity deal during the month. 

  • Our take: Concentration in venture and private equity suggests that early-stage businesses are attracting capital…Read more (2 min)

US-based government and commercial services contractor Amentum has again topped Circular Rising’s job-board roundup, accounting for seven of the 27 new roles advertised this month. Operating across defence, intelligence, energy and environmental markets, the firm is recruiting waste and wastewater management specialists in Kenya.

  • The company is hiring for what it describes as a 'unique' US Navy programme on Diego Garcia, a remote British territory in the Indian Ocean. Home to a major military facility supporting joint UK-US operations, the island is highly valued by Washington, which has described it as 'an all but indispensable platform' for US interests across the Middle East, South Asia and East Africa. 

  • In June  2026, Amentum advertised 16 roles for waste management specialists across Kenya, Mauritius and Seychelles for the same project.

  • Our take: Apply for these roles here (2 min)

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Source: EPROK

A participant collects textile waste during an EPROK-led estate clean-up in Kenya

Events

🫂 Be at the 11th Annual Circular Economy Conference in Kenya (Sept 30)

📦 Sign up for the 6th Africa International E-Waste Conference in Kenya (Oct 15)

🪪 Network at WasteCon 2026 in South Africa (Oct 20)

🤝 Participate in the African Biochar Alliance Summit in Zambia (Oct 27)

📅 Attend the 2nd Annual ESG & Climate Africa Summit in Nairobi (Nov 24)

Various 

📚 GIZ S. Africa seeks help to develop circular economy in green hydrogen handbook

💰 South Africa-based SME recycling mineral waste gets UK funding

⚠️ 20 years on, Probo Koala waste disaster haunts Côte d'Ivoire 

‼️ Garbage collapse at landfill kills dozens in Guinea

👮 Five new African countries advance circular economy roadmaps 

💹 Global zero waste mining market size projected to grow to $18.4b by 2033

🤖 Global robotic waste sorting market to reach $3.4 billion by the end of 2034 

✅ Nigerian Nasarawa State adopts waste management policy 

Seen on LinkedIn 

Halimot Oluwanishola, a postgraduate researcher at Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency, says, “Do residents trust that their separated waste will actually remain separated? These questions matter. Because behaviour change without a functioning system can quickly become frustrating.”