Waste Management Inc. is Africa’s fastest-growing waste firm

From the newsletter

North American company Waste Management Inc. is rapidly becoming a force in Africa’s waste sector. Analysis of the performance of 10 leading players on the continent during the first quarter of the year reveals that though small in size, the company achieved a remarkable 110% growth in its senior staff, an indicator of growing ambition.

• With just 40 employees, Waste Management Inc. is a mid-size player in Africa’s waste sector. However, its rapid staff increase over the past year suggests a commitment to expanding its footprint. 

• In particular, the company’s 50% increase in its sales and business development team signals a focused effort to capture more market share and grow its regional presence, while challenging larger, more established players in the industry.

More details

• Based in the US, Waste Management Inc provides waste and recycling services to commercial and residential customers, alongside   consultancy services like site waste audits, waste and recycling program management and operations and financial analysis of waste programs.

• While industry giants like Veolia and Suez focus on stability, Waste Management Inc. adopts a lean, agile approach. The company has relatively low staff tenure (0.9 years) and no Master’s degree holders on its team. This reflects an emphasis on speed and flexibility, which allows it to quickly respond to emerging opportunities in the rapidly growing African waste management market.

• Enviroserv, based in South Africa, is the second-fastest-growing company in Africa’s waste sector, with a 71.4% increase in its senior staff over the past year. This remarkable growth signals the company’s ambition to strengthen its position in the market. 

• Specializing in hazardous waste management, recycling and waste-to-energy solutions, Enviroserv also stands out due to its highly qualified workforce, with 100% of staff holding Master’s degrees. This academic strength is key to strengthening the technical aspects of waste management and underscores its commitment to operational excellence.

• Suez and Veolia, with 844 and 759 employees respectively, are among the largest waste management firms operating in Africa. However, their growth in senior staff over the past year has been modest—just 10% for Suez and 4% for Veolia, making Veolia the slowest growing company. 

• Instead of aggressive expansion, both companies appear to prioritize long-term operational stability. This is reflected in their high staff tenure—5.8 years for Suez and 8.3 years for Veolia—and strong academic profiles, with half of Veolia’s senior staff holding Master’s degrees and 49% for Suez.

• Oricol and Universal Recycling stand out as experienced, steady firms with low growth trajectories. Oricol’s senior staff have an average of 11.6 years of experience, while Universal Recycling boasts 17.3 years—among the highest in the dataset. 

• Both companies recorded no growth in their sales teams over the past year, suggesting a strategic focus on operational stability and niche specialization rather than rapid expansion. Their medium levels of academic qualifications—27% for Oricol and 50% for Universal Recycling—point to selective hiring for critical roles.

• Zoomlion Ghana increased its sales and business development staff by an impressive 66.7% over the past year—the highest rate among leading waste firms in Africa. This aggressive hiring comes at a time when many of its competitors are slowing down, with four companies in the dataset—Enviroserv, Universal Recycling, Oricol and WasteMart—reporting no new hires in that category. Zoomlion’s expansion strategy reflects a clear intent to boost its market penetration and regional influence.

Our take

• While Waste Management Inc.'s rapid growth is impressive, its expansion with limited resources—particularly the absence of a highly educated senior team—raises concerns about long-term sustainability. 

• The lack of growth in key sales and development teams at companies like Enviroserv, Universal Recycling and Oricol could limit their ability to capitalise on emerging opportunities and maintain a competitive edge. Without robust expansion in these areas, they may struggle to adapt.

• Legacy players like Veolia and Suez could risk falling behind if they underinvest in headcount while competitors scale up. Despite their stronger institutional knowledge, failure to boost operational capacity could leave them vulnerable to losing ground in the market.