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Will urbanisation unlock circularity or entrench linearity?

November 04, 2026

Dear subscriber,

Living in Nairobi, I have witnessed the city’s rapid expansion and the growing pressure on infrastructure and services. This transformation is unfolding across Africa as millions of new urban residents reshape demand for materials, infrastructure and services. But can the continent chart a more resource-efficient development pathway, or will it inherit the costs of resource-intensive growth?

Mercy Maina – Editor

As Africa's population grows, rapid urbanisation is driving demand for resources and increasing waste generation, creating new markets for circular businesses. However, without adequate infrastructure, investment and urban planning, growing cities risk locking themselves into costly resource-intensive development patterns.

  • A new World Bank report projects that Sub-Saharan Africa’s urban population will grow from 913 million in 2025 to 1.7 billion by 2050.

  • Urbanisation will increase waste volumes and alter waste composition, presenting both an economic opportunity and a growing burden, depending on how waste is managed. 

  • Our take: Africa’s urbanisation is not a choice between circularity and linear growth. Both systems are likely to coexist… Read more (2 min)

Popular across Africa for providing affordable clothing and supporting livelihoods, second-hand clothing markets remain contested over concerns about low-quality imports and the resulting waste burden.  However, Sidikat Folami of Mateen Lander argues that these markets help keep textiles in circulation by extending garment lifecycles.

  • “They are not merely informal retail spaces sitting at the edge of the fashion industry. They are part of the infrastructure that enables textiles to remain economically and socially useful beyond their first ownership,” she says of the second hand markets.

  • Ms Folami is the founder and CEO of Mateen Lander, a Nigeria-based textile waste solutions company. A textile waste and systems management specialist, she also runs The Textile Circularist, a LinkedIn community that shares insights on textile circularity, waste management and value preservation.

  • Read the full opinion article here (2 min)

Circular Rising has compiled a list of 50 recent circular economy job openings across Africa, with East Africa leading in the number of vacancies. Most roles require specialist expertise, spanning engineering, research and sustainability, alongside a smaller number of operational positions in waste collection and treatment. 

  • Water and sanitation remain significant employment areas, with five vacancies spanning wastewater treatment, infrastructure engineering, and WASH services.

  • Morocco’s University Mohammed VI Polytechnic (UM6P) stands out as the largest single recruiter, accounting for four vacancies. The institution is hiring for various positions at its Sustainable Materials Research Center (SusMat-RC), a multidisciplinary research center focused on developing advanced bio-based products and materials.  

  • Apply for these roles here

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Source: Ghanainan Times

Zoomlion signs waste management deal with Gambia

Events

📅 Network at the the 2nd Annual ESG & Climate Africa Summit in Kenya (Nov 24)

🤝 Attend the Continental CE Business & Supply Chain Forum in Kenya (Nov 27)

Various 

📚 Study finds much of municipal waste's energy escapes solid and liquid recovery 

♻️ Framework seeks to make solar panel recycling viable in emerging economies

💻 How Ghana is rethinking electronic waste

📱 From discarded electronics to livelihoods: lessons from Limpopo 

🤝 JIF launches call for Africa-EU partnerships to develop circular solutions

Seen on LinkedIn 

UNIDO says, “ Circularity goes beyond recycling. It involves rethinking how resources are used and materials are recovered across industrial value chains. By promoting resource-efficient production and reducing waste, circular approaches can create opportunities for innovation, strengthen industrial competitiveness and support more sustainable industrial development.”