- Circular Rising
- Posts
- Why Africa is fast acquiring a genuinely circular economy
Why Africa is fast acquiring a genuinely circular economy
Dear subscriber,
Sometimes growth is hard to notice, especially in attention. But we see a distinct growth in interest in Africa’s circular economy over the course of this year. That’s about to take another step up at the biggest global climate shindig.
Mercy Maina - Editor
 | It’s big event season, and circularity is more prominent on agendas than it has been for a while. Not least at COP30 in Brazil, and the G20 Summit in South Africa, as well as the UNEA-7 in Kenya. The continent’s circular economy is evolving from isolated recycling projects to systemic change, though there is still a long way to go. |
Coordinated government policies and regional action plans, backed by growing funding sources have helped Africa move a number of initiatives forward, linking waste management, recycling and resource recovery.
Innovations in waste-to-energy, fertiliser production and hazardous waste management are demonstrating the continent’s potential to scale a genuinely circular economy.
Our take: Africa’s circular economy is proving that sustainable practices can deliver both environmental and economic impact… Read more (2 min)
 | For Ndaman Joshua Olayinka, founder of BuyScrap Nigeria, addressing the country’s growing waste challenge requires more than funding. Strategic partnerships, he says, provide technical expertise, market access and collaborative networks that are critical for startups seeking to scale safely and profitably in Nigeria’s emerging circular economy. |
Founded in 2021, BuyScrap Nigeria is a digital platform connecting buyers and sellers of e-waste. The startup serves around 2,000 active users, 16 subscribed businesses and has fulfilled over 400 orders across multiple waste types.
In an interview, Mr Olayinka urges investors to go beyond funding and provide operational support that helps startups like BuyScrap scale, innovate and grow sustainably.
Find the full conversation here (2 min)
 | South Africa secured the lion’s share of Africa’s circular economy funding in October 2025, receiving a total of $29 million, or nearly 98% of the continent’s overall haul of $29.35 million. According to the Circular Rising funding tracker, the remaining investments of $0.35 million went to Morocco and Rwanda. |
The South African investment is a blended finance package to the City of Johannesburg from Dutch development finance institution Invest International.
The Morocco and Rwandan investments are grants from the African Engineering and Technology Network (Afretec), supporting research projects focused on circular economy solutions.
Our take: Johannesburg’s growing profile in city-focused climate investments is clear.… Read more (2 min)
___________________
(Source: Ferdinand Omondi)
Tetra Pak packaging used for water at the Standard Chartered Marathon in Nairobi
Events
🗓️ Attend the 10th Circular Economy Conference in Nairobi (November 18)
🗓️ Explore sustainability at the G20 Summit in South Africa (November 22)
🗓️ Network at the UN Assembly (UNEA-7) in Nairobi (December 8)
Jobs
🧑🔬 Work as Circular Economy Consultant at ITU (Africa)
🧑🔬 Design landfill infrastructure at NEC (Seychelles)
🧑🔬 Supervise mechanical systems for a landfill project at NEC (Seychelles)
🧑🔬 Provide design inputs for landfill berms at NEC (Seychelles)
🧑🔬 Oversee daily landfill construction works at NEC (Seychelles)
🧑🔬 Lead overall landfill project design at NEC (Seychelles)
🧑🔬 Administer landfill project contracts at NEC (Seychelles)
🧑🔬 Manage landfill project drawings at NEC (Seychelles)
🧑🔬 Assess environmental impact of landfill project at NEC (Seychelles)
Various
🖌️ Rwanda intensifies drive to eliminate toxic chemicals from paints
🗑️ Ghana losing billions to poor waste management – ISSER study warns
🔊 Kenya champions sustainable AI in draft resolution for UN Environment Assembly
♻️ The social revolution in Ghana’s waste sector
Seen on LinkedIn
Kojovi Edem Abba, Director of Radical Change Network, says, "One day, waste-to-energy plants will transform Africa’s waste management culture and rescue our environment from the mountains of refuse that have taken over our cities and threaten life on the continent.”