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GREEN AGENDA ISSUE 14 | 2026

SOUTH AFRICA'S LEADING VOICE ON SUSTAINABILITY, CIRCULARITY & CLIMATE ACTION

WOMEN LEADING SOUTH AFRICA'S CIRCULAR ECONOMY

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NEWS PRODUCTS • HAPPENINGS • EVENTS SANBI APPOINTS FIRST WOMAN CURATOR AT KIRSTENBOSCH GARDEN The South African National Biodiversity Institute (Sanbi) has appointed Nondumiso Magija as the first woman to lead the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden in Cape Town as curator. For Magija, her appointment as garden manager is also a homecoming. Nearly 20 years ago, she began her journey at Kirstenbosch as a horticultural intern, spending two years learning and developing within the garden before later serving as a horticulturist. Her return brings her journey full circle. “Kirstenbosch has a highly capable and dedicated team, and I look forward to working alongside them to build on the garden’s legacy,” says Magija.

CLOSING THE LOOP: RESPONSIBLE RECYCLING OF PLASTIC PIPES IN SOUTH AFRICA

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As South Africa continues to build a circular economy, plastic pipes are proving that sustainability doesn't end when infrastructure reaches the end of its service life. Both PVC and HDPE pipes can be successfully recycled once removed from service. However, ensuring they are recycled responsibly once they have reached their end-of-life is critical to protecting future infrastructure and public safety.

Designed to last and to be recycled Unlike many short-life or single use plastic products, PVC and HDPE pipes remain in service for more than 100 years. Their exceptional durability reduces replacement frequency and conserves valuable resources. When eventually removed during maintenance or infrastructure upgrades, they become valuable recyclable materials rather than landfill waste. According to Plastics SA's latest 2025 recycling report, South Africa recycled 485 000 tonnes of plastics during the year. PVC accounted for 18 238 tonnes, while HDPE contributed 77 799 tonnes to the country's recycling output. An overall output recycling rate of 30.1 % for all plastics was achieved in 2025, with PVC recording an 11% recycling rate and HDPE a 34% recycling rate. “Both PVC and HDPE pipes are recyclable. The challenge

“Together, we want to shape a vibrant, resilient and forwardlooking botanical garden that demonstrates excellence in horticulture, biodiversity conservation and public engagement. “I also look forward to building strong partnerships with our staff, communities, research institutions, conservation organisations and other stakeholders. “These partnerships will be central to taking Kirstenbosch into its next phase and strengthening its role as a place of horticultural excellence, conservation, innovation and inspiration.” Since starting at Kirstenbosch, she has built leadership experience in horticulture, biodiversity conservation, municipal parks, community greening, and environmental education. Her career has included management roles at the City of Cape Town, Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo, and Mogale City Local Municipality. She returned to Sanbi in 2021 as garden manager of the Free State National Botanical Garden and later served as garden manager of Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden. Magija holds a Bachelor of Public Administration Honours degree from Stellenbosch University, a leadership coaching certificate from Stellenbosch Business School, a Bachelor of Technology in environmental science, and a National Diploma in Horticulture from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology.

is ensuring that they are recycled and reused responsibly, without compromising the safety and performance of future infrastructure,” says Jan Venter, CEO of the Southern African Plastic Pipe Manufacturers Association (SAPPMA). Why recycled material cannot be used in new pressure pipes The ability to recycle plastic pipes does not mean recycled material can simply be incorporated into new pressure pipes. As this distinction is often misunderstood, Venter explains why SAPPMA strictly prohibits the use of recycled material from external sources in the manufacture of certified pressure pipes: “Pressure pipes operate under continuous internal pressure for decades while transporting drinking water, wastewater, gas and industrial fluids. Because they form part of critical infrastructure, manufacturers must guarantee consistent mechanical strength, long-term creep resistance and predictable performance throughout their design life. Unknown recycled material from external sources introduces variables that cannot always be verified, making it unsuitable for these safety-critical applications”. He adds that international and South African standards (ISO/ SANS 4427 for HDPE and equivalent standards for PVC pressure pipes) only permit manufacturers to reprocess their own clean, in-house production scrap under tightly controlled conditions. External recycled material is not permitted because its composition, contamination history and long-term performance cannot be guaranteed. “Short-term cost savings should never come at the expense of safety, quality or infrastructure reliability. SAPPMA’s strict position should not be interpreted as opposition to recycling, but should be seen as a reflection of responsible engineering and our unwavering commitment to protecting critical infrastructure,” Venter says.

The legacy additive challenge Another important consideration is the presence of legacy additives in older PVC pipes. Historically, lead stabilisers were widely used around the world and older infrastructure may still contain these historic formulations, requiring appropriate identification and sorting during recycling. South Africa addressed this issue proactively. SAPPMA members voluntarily phased out lead stabilisers between 2006 and 2012 (five years ahead of comparable European targets). Today all locally manufactured SAPPMA PVC pipes use modern calciumzinc and organic stabiliser systems, verified through factory audits and the Southern African Vinyls Association’s (SAVA) Product Stewardship Commitment. Giving old pipes a new purpose Although unsuitable for new pressure pipes, recycled PVC and HDPE remain valuable engineering materials used in products such as electrical conduit, cable ducting, drainage products, building profiles, fencing, pallets, wheelie bins, plastic lumber and numerous industrial components. “Stating that a product is recyclable does not necessarily mean that it should be recycled back into the same product. In critical infrastructure applications, responsible recycling means giving recovered materials a valuable second life in other durable products where their performance can be fully assured,” Venter explains. The 2025 Plastics SA report revealed that rigid packaging took up 16% of the market for recycled plastics, followed closely by

South Africa launches a GEF-8-backed initiative to grow electric vehicle battery value chains and accelerate a just, low-carbon industrial transition. South Africa has taken an important step towards strengthening its electric mobility ecosystem with the introduction of the Global

agriculture (12%) and building and construction (11%). All of these offer viable end-markets for recycled plastic pipes. Recycling plastic pipes also delivers measurable environmental benefits by conserving finite resources, reducing energy demand compared with manufacturing virgin polymers and keeping valuable engineering materials in productive use rather than sending them to landfill. Building a truly circular pipe industry With South Africa's circular economy continuously growing and evolving, the plastics pipe industry is demonstrating that sustainability is about far more than simply increasing recycling rates. It is about ensuring every material is used in the application where it delivers the greatest environmental, economic and engineering value. By combining responsible product design, long service lives and carefully managed end-of-life recycling, PVC and HDPE pipes continue to set the benchmark for sustainable infrastructure. "The question is no longer whether plastic pipes can be recycled, but how to recycle them responsibly. When every stakeholder, from contractors and municipalities to manufacturers and recyclers, plays their part we can keep valuable materials in circulation while protecting the safety, reliability and performance of South Africa's critical infrastructure,” Venter concludes. For more information, visit www.sappma.co.za

Environment Facility (GEF-8) funded project, “Supporting the Just Energy Transition in South Africa by Strengthening Local Value Chains and Enhancing Quality Assurance for Electric Vehicle Batteries.” The five year initiative is being implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) in partnership with the South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI), under the guidance of the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, the Department of Electricity and Energy, and the Department of Transport. The project aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by strengthening the quality infrastructure, policy environment and skills base needed to accelerate the growth of South Africa’s low-carbon electric mobility market and battery value chain. It will support battery testing and certification, workforce development, battery recycling and second-life applications, as well as investment opportunities linked to local manufacturing and beneficiation.

THE GREEN AGENDA | ISSUE 14

NEW GEF-FUNDED INITIATIVE TO STRENGTHEN ELECTRIC VEHICLE BATTERY VALUE CHAINS AND INDUSTRIAL COMPETITIVENESS

NEWS PRODUCTS • HAPPENINGS • EVENTS

Jan Venter, CEO of the Southern African Plastic Pipe Manufacturers Association (SAPPMA).

NEWS PRODUCTS • HAPPENINGS • EVENTS

Welcoming participants to the introductory event, SANEDI Acting Chief Executive Officer Prof. Prathaban Moodley, highlighted the significance of the initiative for South Africa’s industrial future. The purpose of the event was to prepare stakeholders for the commencement of the project by outlining its objectives, implementation approach and planned activities, as well as opportunities for collaboration among government, industry, academia, research institutions, development partners and civil society. “The transition to a low-carbon economy is not simply about changing technologies. It is about transforming industries, creating new opportunities to strengthen our economy and ensuring that South Africa remains competitive while delivering on our climate change commitments,” said Moodley. “Electric mobility is much more than electric vehicles. It is an entire industrial ecosystem that spans policy, manufacturing, quality infrastructure, testing and certification, skills development, investment, recycling and innovation.”

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Moodley noted that South Africa has the industrial capability, technical expertise and access to critical minerals required to play a meaningful role in the global battery value chain. He added that the project would help unlock these opportunities while supporting economic growth, investment and job creation.

She emphasised that the project’s focus on strengthening local value chains and quality infrastructure would boost industrial competitiveness while contributing to South Africa’s climate and development objectives. “This project demonstrates that decarbonisation is not simply an environmental imperative. It is an economic opportunity,” she added. Delivering remarks on behalf of UNIDO, Mr. Levy Maduse, Acting UNIDO Representative for Southern Africa, stressed that the global shift towards electric mobility should be viewed as a major industrial transformation rather than solely a transport or environmental issue. “The deeper question is whether South Africa will retain and expand its industrial capabilities as automotive technologies change. Will the country participate in the production, testing, maintenance, repurposing and recycling of the technologies that will define the future automotive industry?” Maduse said. He explained that UNIDO’s approach is to align climate action with industrial development.

Speaking on behalf of the GEF Operational Focal Point at the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE), Ms. Shahkira Parker said the project arrives at a pivotal moment as countries around the world accelerate the transition to lowcarbon, climate-resilient economies.

“The task is to make decarbonisation a driver of industrial upgrading, innovation and inclusive economic development,” he said. “South Africa has important advantages, including an established automotive industry, engineering and research capabilities, mineral resources and existing industrial infrastructure. The opportunity now is to convert those advantages into industrial capability.”

“For South Africa, this transition must not only reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but also create new economic opportunities, strengthen local industries and ensure that no one is left behind. That is the essence of our just energy transition,” Parker said.

Maduse added that the project has a catalytic role, helping to strengthen critical enabling capabilities such as battery valuechain development, quality assurance, skills development and responsible end-of-life battery management. Providing further context, Ms. Karin Reiss-Haimbala from UNIDO Headquarters in Vienna, said the initiative reflects a growing global focus on ensuring that countries are not only consumers of clean-energy technologies, but active participants in the value chains underpinning the energy transition. A programme manager in UNIDO’s Energy and Climate Action Unit, ReissHaimbala leads the organisation’s project portfolio in South Africa.

SANEDI Acting Chief Executive Officer Prof. Prathaban Moodley © UNIDO South Africa

“We deeply believe that when we speak of an inclusive and just transition, we need to leverage industry solutions as a powerful driver for development. Countries that succeed in aligning industrial policy with the energy transition will gain new sources of competitiveness, jobs and exports,” she said.

“This is an invitation to stakeholders, including the private sector, to engage with us and help shape implementation,” she said. “Once the workplan has been finalised and endorsed, we will be fully operational and ready to translate the project’s ambitions into practical results.” Reiss-Haimbala also announced that the project will be showcased during the Africa Electric Mobility Conference in Cape Town later this year, providing an opportunity to share lessons and collaborate with similar initiatives across the continent. Looking ahead, she outlined the project’s next steps as part of the inception phase. These include establishing the Project Management Unit at SANEDI, strengthening the partnership structure, further private sector engagements, reviewing and

CIRCULAR ECONOMY ENTREPRENEURS INVITED TO COMPETE FOR R250K INVESTMENT Businesses already turning waste into products, reducing resource use or developing circular economy solutions can now apply for the 2026 Circular Innovation Challenge, with the winning business eligible for a R250,000 investment.

NEWS PRODUCTS • HAPPENINGS • EVENTS

refining the project logical framework and workplan to avoid duplication with existing initiatives and ensure alignment with recent policy and other developments, and constituting a representative Project Steering Committee to provide strategic guidance and governance.

By bringing together government, industry, academia and development partners, the GEF-8 Battery Value Chain Project aims to position South Africa to capture greater value from the global electric mobility transition while supporting industrial development, climate action and a just energy transition.

The 2026 challenge will give finalists opportunities to connect with investors, policymakers, partners and potential markets, while also providing opportunities to test and develop their businesses within the V&A Waterfront ecosystem. Finalists will have the opportunity to present at the ninth Market Systems Symposium in Cape Town from 20 to 22 October, hosted by the Institute. The V&A Waterfront says the challenge differs from a conventional pitch competition because finalists can potentially test their solutions within a precinct that already operates several circular economy initiatives. These include a harbour net recycling facility at Collier Jetty, which processes end-of-life fishing nets into plastic flakes for reuse, as well as an on-site waste recovery and recycling centre. The precinct also composts hundreds of tonnes of organic waste each month. The V&A Waterfront's Circular Maker Space, a 1,000m² facility launched with the Craft and Design Institute at the Cape Town Cruise Terminal, provides designers and entrepreneurs with access to equipment for manufacturing products from recycled materials. “Circularity isn’t an abstract commitment for us – it’s built into our harbour, our retail leases and our public spaces,” says Graham Wood, CEO of the V&A Waterfront.

Previous winners have included businesses turning river waste into coasters and garden stakes, recycling defunct solar panels, and enabling township customers to buy exact quantities of goods using reusable containers.

The challenge is presented by Solve with the support of the V&A Waterfront and in partnership with the Institute. Eligible applicants include businesses operating in agriculture, manufacturing, food systems, construction, fashion and textiles, packaging, energy, technology, and waste and resource management. Applications close on 20 September 2026. Apply here.

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The challenge is aimed at established circular economy businesses across Southern Africa that are ready to grow and scale their impact, rather than early-stage ideas. It is looking for businesses that are already reducing waste, retaining material value or contributing to regenerative economic systems.

“We’re constantly testing what a circular precinct looks like in practice, and the Circular Innovation Challenge lets us open that same testing ground to entrepreneurs building the next generation of circular businesses.”

NEWS PRODUCTS • HAPPENINGS • EVENTS CELEBRATING WOMEN WASTE PICKERS On Women’s Day, Petco hosted 100 women waste pickers at the Johannesburg Botanical Gardens for a gathering focused on their wellbeing, development and role in South Africa’s circular economy. The day created space for conversations on financial wellness, personal care, purpose and empowerment, while giving the women an opportunity to connect and be celebrated. We were joined by some inspiring speakers who brought different perspectives to the day. First up, Petco CEO Telly Chauke welcomed the women and shared why we brought them together, highlighting the role they play in the value chain and reminding them: we see you; we support you, and you matter. Also on the programme, Tracy Kotzen highlighted the value of self-care and the importance of making time for yourself while supporting others, while the Gauteng Department of Health focused on physical health, particularly given the demands of waste picking. Nonto Sibisi encouraged the women to work with pride, to not be defined by their past and to stay rooted in their faith.

Rounding out the speakers, Queen Mangaye from Taking Care of Business motivated the audience to attend to their financial wellbeing, drawing on her own journey of personal development and financial freedom. Thank you to everyone who helped make the day possible. The event was supported by our sponsors and partners, whose contributions helped us bring the programme together.

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Sponsors: Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa, Bevco, Safripol, Unilever, Nedbank, Workmaster, Vaal Bulk Bags, Recyquip, Taking Care of Business, Mobile Gals, Chinos, Semuhle, Protech, Mkhilosh and Ndamelo General.

Award Winner Shomang Sebenzani Development Initiative Kerbside Collection and Sorting Superhero

Award Winner WestWorld Recycling Level Up

No one expected them to lead the industry. Recycling is a male-dominated industry. Meet the women changing it. Shomang Sebenzani Development Initiative, South Africa’s longest-standing separation-at-source initiative, services 1,800 homes, works with 19,000 school learners across Alexandra and is the winner of the Kerbside Collection and Sorting Superhero Award. WestWorld Recycling, run by Lisa Steenkamp, a buy-back centre that collected more than 2,000 tonnes of recyclables last year and is the winner of the Level Up Award. Every year, more women are starting businesses and rewriting the rules of recycling. At Petco, we’re proud to celebrate them.

Scan here for the full story and meet the rest of this year’s Petco Award Winners.

CONTENTS ISSUE 14 | 2026

20 Constance Mokhoantle: Championing Cleaner Production and an Inclusive Circular Economy 24 Edith Leeuta, CEO of Fibre Circle, on advancing innovation, sustainability and responsible resource use 28 Leading the Way in South Africa’s Circular Bioeconomy: PAMSA 32 The Role of Women in Shaping South Africa’s Circular Economy: eWASA

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Cover credits:

Women

LEADING SOUTH AFRICA’S

Circular Economy

Barbara Buchner CEO of Climate Policy Initiative Constance Mokhoantle Senior Communication Practitioner and Gender Focal Point at the National Cleaner Production Centre South Africa (NCPC-SA) Dorah Modise | Executive Director Presidential Climate Commission Jane Molony Executive Director of the Paper and Allied Manufacturers of South Africa (PAMSA) Edith Leeuta Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Fibre Circle Telly Chauke Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Petco

Winner for the Best Recycled Plastic Product of the Year

56 Women in Mining Breaking the Ground and Owning the Shift: WiMSA

74 Mobilizing Climate Finance for a Resilient and Inclusive Africa: Climate Policy Initiative 80 Just Energy Transition UNIDO 78 Preserving Wood, Protecting the Planet: SAWPA’s Sustainable Legacy

80 THE GREEN AGENDA | ISSUE 14

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2024/05/28 13:50

A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR The new Portraits of Power exhibition at the Union Buildings in Pretoria focuses on celebrating Women leaders from near and far. The choice of location is significant: this year marks the 70th anniversary of the historic multiracial Women’s March to the Union Buildings on the 9th of August, 1956, to protest apartheid’s pass laws. The Mail & Guardian reported that Sindisiwe Chikunga, Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, said at the exhibit’s opening that we need to go beyond asking, “Who is the most successful woman?” Rather, Chikunga said, the future-looking question must be: “Who is creating the most successful woman?” This edition of The Green Agenda explores the question by showcasing the accomplishments of dynamic women leaders advancing the transition of the circular economy toward a more just and sustainable future. We’re proud to feature Constance Mokhoantle, Senior Communication Specialist at the National Cleaner Production Centre South Africa (NCPC-SA), Jane Molony, Executive Director of the Paper Manufacturers Association of South Africa (PAMSA), and Edith Leeuta, Chief Executive Officer of Fibre Circle. These organisations are at the forefront of South Africa’s circular economy, with Women playing a leading role. While so many barriers have been dismantled since the 1950s, we still have a far way to go. For example, while 46% of South Africa’s economically active population is female, only 27.4% of JSE Top 40 executive roles were held by women in 2025, according to Just Share’s August 2026 briefing. “Key constraints limiting women’s participation in circular economy solutions include restricted access to finance and collateral, skills gaps in technical and managerial roles, time poverty, and persistent gender bias in procurement and promotion,” says Mokhoantle. “There is considerable potential for improvement,” Mokhoantle says. “Evidence from South Africa suggests that gender responsive circular economy design, supported by targeted finance, skills development and inclusive procurement, can enable women to move into higher value, decision-making roles, while simultaneously advancing environmental outcomes in the food and beverage sector.” Join us in learning from and drawing inspiration from these women while we build the world that will be remembered generations from now.

REBECCA L. WEBER | EDITOR

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Royston Lamond

EDITOR Greg Penfold

THE

GREEN AGENDA

DIRECTOR Thandiswa Mbijane

Transitioning Toward A More Sustainable Economy

DESIGN AND LAYOUT Raw Art

ONLINE COORDINATOR Shejali Kandhai

WEBSITE COORDINATOR Yazied Davids

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THE GREEN AGENDA | ISSUE 14

THE GREEN AGENDA TEAM

FOREWORD

From

Green Ambition to

Strategic Advantage

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South Africa’s green transition is happening at a difficult and uncertain time. Around the world Geopolitical dynamics are increasingly shaping national policy choices, energy markets remain volatile, trade relationships are shifting and countries are increasingly focused on protecting their own economic interests. At the same time, the impacts of climate change are becoming more visible in our communities, our infrastructure, our agriculture and our economy.

For South Africa, this means that the green transition cannot only be about reducing emissions. It must also be about how we grow the economy, create jobs, build competitive industries and improve people’s lives. This is the perspective from which I welcome this issue of The Green Agenda. Much of my own career has been spent at the intersection of environmental sustainability and economic development. Before joining the Presidential Climate Commission, I had the opportunity to lead the South African Paper and Packaging

Producer Responsibility Organisation Alliance. That experience taught me an important lesson: good environmental policy must ultimately make a difference in the real economy and in people’s everyday lives.

materials and the same communities. If we are serious about building a circular economy in South Africa, we need to find ways of working together, sharing information and building systems that operate at scale.

Extended Producer Responsibility, or EPR, is a good example.

And we must not lose sight of the people at the heart of our recycling economy.

At its heart, EPR is about making producers take greater responsibility for what happens to their products once consumers are finished with them. It is an important step towards a more circular economy, where we use resources more efficiently, keep materials in circulation for longer and reduce the amount of waste that ends up in our landfills.

For me, this is what a just transition should mean in practice. It is about asking not only whether we are making our economy greener, but also who benefits from that change.

But having regulations in place is only the beginning. The real test is whether we can make the system work. We need better coordination between Producer Responsibility Organisations, municipalities, producers, recyclers and communities. Too often, we work in silos, even when we are dealing with the same

The same thinking applies to our energy transition. At the Presidential Climate Commission, our focus is on helping South Africa reduce emissions while making sure that the transition is inclusive, evidence-based and economically sustainable. We also have to prepare for the climate impacts that are already with us. Adaptation and resilience therefore have to be treated as part of our development agenda, not as an afterthought.

It is easy to describe the shift from coal and other fossil fuels to cleaner sources of energy simply as a decarbonisation exercise. But that misses the bigger opportunity in front of us. Over and above our coal reserves, South Africa has some of the best renewable energy resources in the world. We have significant mineral resources, an established industrial base, engineering capabilities and a growing pool of people with the skills needed for the new economy. Our transition can therefore be about much more than producing cleaner electricity. It can help us build new industries and value chains in new energy, battery storage, electric vehicles, green hydrogen, critical minerals and clean manufacturing. It can help us attract investment, support local manufacturing and create new opportunities for small businesses and young people. The question is whether we will simply supply the resources for the global green economy, or whether we will use this moment to build more of that economy here at home. That is why I see the South African energy transition as an economic and industrial development opportunity as much as a climate imperative. This issue of Green Agenda also comes at an important time, as we look towards the growing conversation around carbon markets and the implementation of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.

There is real potential here to bring additional finance into climate action. But we need to approach carbon markets with our eyes open. For South Africa and the rest of Africa, Article 6 must support our development priorities. We should not simply become a source of cheap carbon credits for wealthier countries and companies elsewhere. A mature Article 6 regime must help mobilise finance for real emissions reductions, support climate resilience and ensure that the countries and communities where these projects take place share meaningfully in the benefits. This will require strong institutions, credible systems, good data and a pipeline of projects that can attract investment. But it will also require us to be clear about what we are trying to achieve. Carbon markets are a means to an end. They should support our development, not define it. Ultimately, whether we are talking about EPR and the circular economy, our energy transition, climate resilience or carbon markets, we come back to the same question: how do we make the green transition work for South Africa and for our people?

We have an opportunity to move beyond seeing climate action as a compliance exercise or simply as a cost to the economy. If we get it right, the transition can help us build a more competitive economy, create new industries, improve livelihoods, strengthen our resilience and position South Africa for the markets of the future.

FOREWORD

Our energy transition is particularly important.

But we will not get there by working in silos. It will require government, business, labour, civil society, communities and development partners to work together and, importantly, to connect the different parts of the transition. The opportunity is there. Our challenge now is to turn the ambition into practical action.

“

I hope this issue of The Green Agenda contributes to that conversation.

Our informal waste reclaimers are already doing important work every day. They recover materials, reduce what goes to landfill and contribute to the circular economy, often under very difficult conditions. As we strengthen EPR, we have an opportunity to improve their livelihoods, recognise their contribution and create safer and more dignified working conditions.

Executive Director Presidential Climate Commission

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Dorah Modise

WOMEN

Honouring the

Women who continue to shape

South Africa Seventy years ago, South African women transformed the course of our history through an extraordinary act of collective courage. On 9 August 1956, more than 20,000 women marched to the Union Buildings in Pretoria to protest against the extension of apartheid pass laws to African women. Led by courageous leaders such as Lilian Ngoyi, Helen Joseph, Rahima Moosa, and Sophia Williams-De Bruyn, the march brought together women from different racial, cultural, and political backgrounds around a common purpose: to resist oppression and demand freedom, justice, and dignity. Their message, “Wathint’ Abafazi, Wathint’ Imbokodo” — “You strike a woman, you strike a rock”, became more than a rallying cry. It became a declaration of the strength, resilience, and political power of South African women. As we commemorate the 70th anniversary of the historic Women’s March, we honour not only its celebrated leaders but also the thousands of women whose names may never appear in our history books. These were workers, mothers, students, community organisers and rural women who understood that freedom could only be achieved through unity and collective action.

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Their activism reminds us that South Africa’s liberation was not the work of a few prominent individuals. It was built through the courage and sacrifices of ordinary people who chose to stand together against injustice. The legacy of the women of 1956 continues to shape our democratic nation.

Today, women occupy positions of leadership in government, business, academia, civil society, sport, the arts and many other sectors. Women continue to lead communities, build enterprises, create employment, preserve our heritage and represent South Africa with distinction on national and international stages. The remarkable achievements of South African women in sport, arts and culture demonstrate that the legacy of the women of 1956 remains alive. Our sportswomen are not simply participating; they are winning medals, breaking records, leading national teams and changing how the world sees South Africa.

At the recent 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Lara van Niekerk successfully defended her women’s 50-metre breaststroke title, winning gold for South Africa. Aimee Canny delivered outstanding performances to secure two silver medals, while para-swimmer Danika Vyncke won silver and set a new African record in the women’s 50-metre freestyle S13. Erin Gallagher also contributed to Team South Africa’s medal tally with bronze in the women’s 100-metre butterfly. These achievements build on the outstanding performances of Tatjana Smith, Jo-Ané van Dyk and Simone Kruger at the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Tatjana Smith won gold and silver in the pool, Jo-Ané van Dyk secured an Olympic silver medal in the women’s javelin, while Simone Kruger claimed Paralympic gold in the women’s discus. Our national women’s teams have also continued to make history and inspire the nation. The Proteas Women reached their firstever 50-over ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup final in 2025 and progressed to the semifinals of the 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup. Banyana Banyana’s historic 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations victory remains a defining moment in South African football, while the SPAR Proteas, South African Women’s Hockey Team and Springbok Women continue to fly the South African flag high in the global sporting platforms. These women are not only winning medals and breaking records. They are challenging stereotypes, inspiring young girls and claiming their rightful place in South African sporting history. Every time a South African woman steps onto a podium, breaks a record or leads a national team, she creates a wider path for the young girl watching from a township, village or school playground. Their success must, however, be matched by equal investment, fair remuneration, improved facilities, greater sponsorship and sustained media coverage. Women athletes should not have to achieve extraordinary results before receiving ordinary support. Equality in sport must be visible in funding, salaries, broadcasting, leadership opportunities and long-term athlete development. We must ensure that women and girls have access to safe and

South African women are also commanding global stages through music, film, literature, visual arts and cultural expression. The success of DJ duo TxC at the 2025 BET Awards demonstrated the growing international influence of South African women in music. Their achievement forms part of a wider movement of women artists who are taking South African sounds, stories and creative excellence to audiences across the world. The global rise of Tyla has demonstrated the power of South African creativity to transcend borders. From becoming the youngest African solo artist to win a Grammy Award in 2024 to securing another Grammy in 2026, Tyla has carried a distinctly South African sound and identity onto some of the world’s biggest stages. Her achievements affirm that our young artists do not have to abandon their roots to achieve international success. Artists such as DBN Gogo, Kamo Mphela, Pabi Cooper and Nkosazana Daughter have become prominent ambassadors of the amapiano movement, introducing international audiences to South African music through performances, tours, festivals and collaborations. Their artistry has helped transform amapiano from a sound developed in South African townships into one of the country’s most recognisable cultural exports. These artists are demonstrating that South African women are not merely contributors to the growth of amapiano; they are among the producers, vocalists, DJs, dancers and creative leaders driving its global success. Through their music, choreography, fashion and visual storytelling, they are reshaping perceptions of African womanhood and creating new possibilities for the next generation of women in the creative industries. At the 2025 National Arts and Culture Awards, women were recognised across several disciplines. Barbara Boswell received the Outstanding Book: Fiction Award, Nontobeko Ntombela was recognised as Outstanding Curator, Malebogo Naticia Molokoane received the Outstanding Visual Artist Award, and Napo Masheane was honoured for outstanding performance poetry. Women filmmakers Jacintha de Nobrega, Xoliswa Sithole and Catharina Weinek were also recognised for their work in documentary film, documentary series and fiction film respectively. These women are not simply collecting awards. Through their creativity, they are preserving memory, challenging inequality, redefining African womanhood and ensuring that South African stories are seen and heard. Their achievements confirm that women are not on the margins of our national story; they are among its principal authors. The successes of women in sport, arts and culture represent the living legacy of the women who marched in 1956. They demonstrate what becomes possible when women are provided with opportunities, resources and platforms to lead. They also remind us that talent exists in every community, but opportunity does not.

However, although strides have been made towards the empowerment of women, we must also note that it is not yet “Uhuru” because, many women continue to face poverty, unemployment, discrimination, unequal pay and limited access to economic opportunities. Women in rural communities and women with disabilities often experience additional barriers to participation and development.

claim to have fully honoured the women of 1956 while women and girls continue to live in fear in their homes, workplaces, schools and communities. The freedom they fought for must be reflected in the daily lives of every woman and girl. It must mean the freedom to walk safely, to learn, to work, to lead, to participate in sport and cultural life, and to pursue one’s dreams without fear of violence, discrimination or exclusion. Honouring the legacy of our trailblazing leaders therefore requires action from all sectors of society. Government must continue strengthening programmes that advance women’s empowerment and participation. The private sector must create fair opportunities for women to enter, lead and thrive in the workplace. Communities must challenge harmful attitudes and practices that undermine women’s dignity. Men and boys must become active partners in building a society founded on equality and mutual respect. We must also invest in the next generation. Every girl must grow up knowing that her voice matters and that she has the right to occupy any space she chooses. Through education, sport, arts and culture, we can create environments in which girls develop confidence, discover their talents and become leaders in their communities. Our history must also be preserved and shared. The stories of women who contributed to the liberation and development of South Africa must be documented, taught and celebrated. When young people understand the sacrifices that shaped our democracy, they are better equipped to protect it and carry its values forward. The generation of 1956 has entrusted us with a powerful legacy. It is now our responsibility to ensure that their courage is translated into meaningful and lasting change. As we mark the 70 years since the historic march of 1956 in 2026 and dedicating the month of August to this historic march, let us draw strength from the women who came before us. Let us honour them by continuing their collective activism, confronting inequality and building a South Africa in which every child, be it a girl or boy and every woman is safe, respected, empowered and free. The march of 1956 did not end at the Union Buildings. It continues wherever women organise, lead, create, compete, teach, nurture and stand against injustice. Seventy years later, the message remains clear: when women rise together, they do not only transform their own lives, they shape the future of the entire nation.

Hon. Peace Mabe Deputy Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture

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Women artists must be protected from exploitation and given greater access to funding, markets, creative spaces and platforms. They must also be empowered to retain ownership of their work and intellectual property so that their creativity can provide sustainable livelihoods.

The continued scourge of gender-based violence and femicide remains one of the greatest threats to the freedom, safety and dignity of women in our country. We cannot

WOMEN

well-maintained sporting facilities from the grassroots level to the international stage.

Women Leading Transformative Change This edition of The Green Agenda proudly celebrates the remarkable women leading South Africa’s circular economy and accelerating the transition towards a more sustainable future. When we started The Green Agenda, our vision was clear: to be an innovative and influential platform that drives meaningful conversations about sustainability, environmental responsibility and the future of our planet. Today, I am proud to see how far we have come and to know that The Green Agenda has established itself as one of South Africa’s leading sustainability publications. Advancing sustainability remains at the very heart of our vision. But I firmly believe that meaningful progress begins with people who are willing to challenge the status quo, create new possibilities and boldly advance the sustainability agenda across every sector of society. And increasingly, we are seeing women at the forefront of that movement. Across industries, communities and institutions, women are bridging gaps, building partnerships, driving innovation and making significant contributions to the transition towards a more sustainable and circular economy. They are not simply participating in the conversation; they are shaping it, leading it and turning ambition into action. This edition is therefore a celebration of the women who are creating lasting impact. For me, it is especially important that we recognise and celebrate women whose leadership gives others something to aspire to. We need women change-makers whose journeys remind us that leadership is not only about occupying a position of influence, but about using that influence to create meaningful change. One Woman who has been particularly inspirational to me is Ms Dorah Modise. I had the privilege of knowing Dorah during her tenure as CEO of The Green Building Council South Africa (GBCSA), where she made an enormous contribution to advancing sustainable development and green building in South Africa. Today, she serves as Executive Director of the Presidential Climate Commission, continuing her work at the forefront of our country’s climate and sustainability agenda.

Thandiswa Mbijane

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Executive Director The Green Agenda Magazine

You cannot have a progressive conversation about sustainability in South Africa without acknowledging Dorah’s enormous contribution. She is a force, a formidable leader and, without doubt, one of the women who has helped shape the sustainability landscape in our country. Her leadership demonstrates what is possible when courage, purpose and expertise come together in service of a greater cause. Her journey is also a reminder that representation matters. We need to see women leading in boardrooms, laboratories, communities, government, business, environmental organisations, manufacturing, waste management, energy, agriculture and every other sector that will determine the future of our economy and our planet. In this edition, we shine a light on other remarkable women who are carrying the torch for a more sustainable Future. Their stories are different, their sectors are diverse, and their approaches may vary, but they share a common thread: a commitment to creating a better future. May we continue to open doors for one another. May we mentor, support and challenge the next generation. May we create spaces where young women can see themselves as scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs, executives, policymakers, environmental leaders and changemakers. May we know Her. May we become Her. And may we make it possible for the next generation to become even more.

Thandi

Member companies that bear the Proudly South African logo have been vetted for local content, quality, fair labour practice and adherence to environmental standards

Architects of a

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Three remarkable women. Three powerful spheres of influence. One shared vision – shaping a circular, inclusive and regenerative future.

A circular economy is not built by ambition alone. It is built by people with the courage to challenge deeply established systems, the wisdom to bring diverse voices together and the determination to transform bold ideas into lasting change. As part of Women Leading South Africa’s Circular Economy feature, The Green Agenda is proud to celebrate three exceptional women whose leadership is helping to redefine South Africa’s relationship with resources: Constance Mokhoantle, Senior Communication Specialist at the National Cleaner Production

Centre South Africa (NCPC-SA); Jane Molony, Executive Director of the Paper Manufacturers Association of South Africa (PAMSA); and Edith Leeuta, Chief Executive Officer of Fibre Circle. They were selected not only for the positions they hold, but for the purpose with which they lead. Together, they represent three indispensable forces behind South Africa’s circular transition: the power to shape understanding, the influence to transform industry and the resolve to turn vision into

action. Through communication, strategic leadership and practical implementation, they are helping to create an economy in which resources are valued for longer, waste is designed out of systems and environmental progress becomes a catalyst for social and economic opportunity.

Constance Mokhoantle: Giving Change a Powerful Voice Every meaningful transformation begins with understanding. Policies, technologies and strategies can only achieve their full potential when people recognise their relevance and are inspired to participate. By advancing this important work at NCPC-SA, Constance Mokhoantle demonstrates that communication is not simply a supporting function - it is a powerful instrument of transformation. By translating complex ideas around cleaner production, resource efficiency and circularity into solutions that educate, connect and mobilise, Constance helps bring sustainability out of technical spaces into businesses, communities and everyday decision-making. Constance’s leadership reminds us that progress depends not only on developing better solutions, but also on telling the stories that allow those solutions to be understood, trusted and embraced. Constance is helping to build the shared awareness necessary for collective action—and, in doing so, giving South Africa’s circular transition a clear, compelling and inclusive voice.

Jane Molony: Reimagining the Future of Industry At the intersection of industry, renewable resources and environmental responsibility stands Jane Molony, whose leadership at PAMSA continues to advance the role of the paper manufacturing sector within South Africa’s circular bioeconomy. Jane represents the strategic vision required to move established industries towards more responsible and regenerative models. Her work highlights the potential of renewable resources, responsible production and circular thinking to coexist with industrial development and economic growth.

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What makes the journeys of Constance, Jane and Edith so remarkable is not simply what they have achieved, but how they continue to lead. By championing collaboration, innovation and long-term stewardship, she is helping to reshape perceptions of manufacturing - not as a sector standing apart from environmental progress, but as an essential participant in achieving it. Her leadership demonstrates that industry transformation is possible when commercial insight is matched by environmental responsibility and a willingness to imagine what the future can become.

Edith Leeuta: Turning Circular Ambition into Inclusive Action A circular economy must do more than recover materials. It must recover value, restore opportunity and create systems in which more people can participate and prosper. As Chief Executive Officer of Fibre Circle, Edith Leeuta brings this principle to life. Edith’s leadership extends beyond promoting the recovery and recycling of paper and paper packaging. It embraces the wider social and economic possibilities of circularity - including enterprise development, job creation and stronger, more inclusive recycling systems. Edith’s work shows that environmental responsibility and human advancement are not competing priorities. They are deeply interconnected. By placing people, partnerships and practical solutions at the heart of circularity, Edith is helping to transform recycling from an environmental necessity into a platform for dignity, participation and sustainable livelihoods.

Leadership That Moves the Future Forward What makes the journeys of Constance, Jane and Edith so remarkable is not simply what they have achieved, but how they continue to lead. They lead by building bridges between knowledge and action, industry and society, environmental responsibility and economic possibility. They understand that no institution, sector or individual can create systemic change alone. Their influence is reflected in their ability to unite stakeholders around a shared purpose and move sustainability from conversation to measurable progress.

Their leadership remind us that women are not merely participating in South Africa’s circular economy. They are shaping its direction, expanding its possibilities and inspiring a new generation to lead with conviction, compassion and purpose. They are not simply responding to the future. They are creating it. n

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At a time when South Africa must confront resource scarcity, unemployment, inequality and environmental degradation, their leadership offers something profoundly important: proof that transformation is possible when expertise is guided by purpose.

NCPC-SA

CONSTANCE MOKHOANTLE:

Championing Cleaner Production and an Inclusive

CIRCULAR ECONOMY Please tell us a little about yourself and what it means to be recognised among the women leading South Africa's circular economy. How does your role at the National Cleaner Production Centre South Africa (NCPC-SA) enable you to drive industry awareness, foster meaningful collaboration, and advance stakeholder engagement in support of cleaner production and circular economy practices? My name is Constance Mokhoantle, and I am a Senior Communication Specialist for the National Cleaner Production Centre with almost 20 years’ experience in Communication. The NCPC is an industrial efficiency programme of the Department of Trade Industry and Competition, hosted by the Council for Scientific Industrial Research.

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I am honored to be recognized as one of the women leading South Africa’s transitions to a circular economy, but there is still a lot of work to be done to create opportunities or platforms for women to participate in technical and managerial levels in the clothing and textile, food beverage and Machinery and Automotive Sectors.

Constance Mokhoantle Senior Communication Specialist for the National Cleaner Production Centre

The automotive sector is the most male-dominated of the three sectors analyzed by the NCPC, with women making up approximately 30% of manufacturing employees. But this figure is far less in the engineering, machinery and automotive assembly. Women are concentrated in administrative, clerical, qualityinspection, cleaning, packaging and some assembly functions. My current role as a Senior Communication specialist has been extended to include a Gender Focal Point for our internationally funded projects. This pivot has afforded me the unique opportunity to use my role in communication to ensure that gender mainstreaming is not treated as a tick-box exercise but as a driver of impact. Through my communication role, I can amplify the NCPC gender mainstreaming efforts by shaping narratives, making sure our work demonstrates inclusivity, and ensuring gender considerations are visible in how we present our internationally funded projects internally and externally. But most importantly: to encourage men to also participate in gender mainstreaming, because the goal is gender equality for all. When you are in a room where decisions are being made, look around and see who is not present or represented and speak up on their behalf. Or even better extend an invitation to the voices that are absent.

Educate a woman, educate a nation NCPC-SA plays a national role in advancing cleaner production and circular economy initiatives. What has been the role and impact of women with regards to NCPC-SA’s key projects? Why is female leadership important in the context of developing green growth and industrial sustainability? Women have been critical contributors to resource efficiency, cleaner production, circular economy and waste recovery initiatives supported by the NCPC-SA. Their participation has helped drive practical sustainability outcomes across manufacturing value chains. Expanding women's leadership in green industrial development is essential not only for gender equality, but also for accelerating innovation, strengthening inclusive economic growth, and ensuring that South Africa's transition to a circular and low-carbon economy delivers sustainable benefits for all. After all, the African proverb says, “If you educate a man, you educate an individual. But if you educate a woman, you educate a nation.” Women perform about 75% of all unpaid care and domestic work daily. Women run the households so are more likely to buy ecofriendly items. They take on the role of educator in their families and communities, and therefore have the power to influence their families, friends and communities to adopt more responsible behaviors regarding consumption and waste disposal. Female leadership in industrial sustainability will ensure that women’s voices and needs are heard and addressed in the rooms where the decisions are being made. Increasing women’s participation strengthens innovation and long-term sustainability of projects. To support the inclusion of women the NCPC has been delivering workshops in eco-industrial plants encouraging company owners to use The UNIDO Gender Self-Assessment Tool, which aims to

enable industrial parks and tenant companies to conduct a selfassessment that will take the guesswork out of how to achieve equality and inclusion for men and women. Women have been left out of the loop for a long time. Sustainability jobs are male driven so it is important to bring women voices and their perspectives, to level the playing field – it’s not about the numbers that women have something to bring to the table.

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Women have been left out of the loop for a long time. Sustainability jobs are male driven so it is important to bring women voices and their perspectives, to level the playing field – it’s not about the numbers that women have something to bring to the table. Towards a socially just circular economy The Circular Business Accelerator for Circular Economy Solutions (CB-ACES), implemented in partnership with UNIDO, is positioning South African enterprises to embrace a new era of sustainable innovation. What makes CB-ACES a transformative force in accelerating circular business models? How is it creating pathways for innovation, green enterprise growth, and inclusive economic participation across South Africa? CB-ACES is a five-year international cooperation initiative funded by the German Government’s International Climate initiative (IKI) and implemented internationally by the United Nations Industrial Organization (UNIDO). The project uses circular economy practices to fight climate change and biodiversity by supporting the transformation of selected sectors (food and beverage, textiles, and electronics and machinery) and value chains towards a socially just circular economy. CB-ACES will accelerate circular economy business models and create pathways for innovation and inclusive economic participation in South Africa by tackling policy development and implementation, building financial mechanisms and investment promotion, encourage technical cooperation with businesses, and capacity building and knowledge management, including inter-country learning. Along with this, the NCPC will be intentionally embedding gendertransformative approaches into the circular economy interventions to address the underlying causes of and seek to change harmful gender norms.

Creative, innovative opportunities The circular economy represents a powerful opportunity for economic transformation, innovation and inclusive growth. Looking ahead, what bold actions must South Africa’s industries, policymakers, and business leaders take to embed circularity into the economy and position it as a driver of competitiveness, resource security, and long-term resilience? South Africa must move beyond viewing circularity as an environmental programme and position it as an industrial growth strategy. This requires coordinated action from government, industry and business leaders to incentivise circular design,

NCPC-SA

Based on a gender analysis the NCPC conducted earlier this year, it has emerged that the textile industry has the highest female workforce participation with 70% of women employed in the manufacturing of clothing. But the reality is that women are concentrated in the sewing, finishing, quality control and labor-intensive production activities, and are underrepresented in management, ownership, technical and decision-making positions.

NCPC-SA

scale recycling and remanufacturing infrastructure, strengthen extended producer responsibility frameworks, and create markets for secondary materials. By embedding circular principles into production and consumption systems, South Africa can reduce resource dependence, improve competitiveness, create new jobs and build greater resilience against future economic and environmental pressures. Also, it is imperative for businesses to stop viewing gender mainstreaming as an added burden or as an instrument to disempower men and push them out of the job market. Instead, it is an opportunity for businesses to employ creative and innovative ways to accommodate mothers when they need to drop off or pick up their children for school, offer training during the hours of 10:00 and 13:00 to accommodate mothers and caregivers, and to re-visit work times especially for women who use public transport during the wee hours of the morning and late evening.

Ubuntu matters Developing an inclusive circular economy means a holistic approach that addresses environmental, social, and economic factors. How does industrial decarbonization create growth for women, youth, small businesses, and communities throughout the country? And how does industry benefit from supporting women? Industrial decarbonization creates growth for women, youth, small businesses and communities by creating new revenue streams for companies, cost savings are realized through avoiding landfill costs. The informal recycling sector for instance is a major employment contributor with an estimated 60 000 to 90 000 pickers in South Africa. The involvement of waste pickers represents a social dimension of circular economy implementation, where resource recovery generates employment and livelihood opportunities.

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South Africa continues to benefit from the leadership and influence of exceptional women across a range of sectors. Please introduce us to one or two South African women leaders who are making a meaningful impact, and share the qualities that make them exceptional. Lebo Lion of Lebo Lion Digital. She has carved out her own unique niche market in digital marketing and entrepreneurship. She has a successful podcast where she shares information, tools and techniques that people can use in their businesses to improve their marketing strategy and their overall mind-set about entrepreneurship and professionalism. Furthermore, she has a marketing agency and is a speaker who focuses on strategy, innovation and marketing. Most importantly, she is authentic and lives and breathes her brand values. It doesn’t matter where you encounter Lebo–she is honest, direct and constructive in her analyses of brands and how they respond to certain campaigns. Faith Mavukani is the ESG Working Group Chairperson and General Manager at the South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI), where she oversees the energy efficiency and demand side management division. She is an executive with over 21 years of experience in the energy and industrial resource sectors, spanning generation, transmission, distribution, renewable energy, and climate change mitigation. As a UNIDO certified international energy management expert and a RENAC certified renewable energy project developer, Faith has a proven track record of delivering innovative and impactful energy and climate change projects across 10 countries. Faith is passionate about advancing the ESG and climate change agenda in the energy sector and beyond.

In the food and beverage sector gender-responsive circular economy design, supported by targeted finance, skills development and inclusive procurement, can enable women to move into higher-value, decision-making roles while simultaneously advancing environmental outcomes.

What makes her exceptional is the role she chooses to play in mentoring and grooming women in the technical field of energy management.

In the textile sector, cleaner production technologies, closed-loop water systems, renewable-energy installations and textile recycling infrastructure can reduce health risks, improve working conditions and create new technical and managerial roles.

What message would you like to share with the next generation of women entrepreneurs, changemakers, and leaders who aspire to play a role in South Africa’s circular economy? What legacy do you hope women driving this transition will create for generations to come?

Implementation of the circular economy gives women access to skills training, enterprise ownership and decision-making power, circular interventions can deliver both environmental and genderequality benefits.

Women’s Day, Every Day

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Legacy rising

Lift others up as you rise, because it is only when we work together and support each other that we can leave a mark in this world. For true transformation to happen and for gender equality to become a reality, women should be supportive of each other and use organisational or national policies to support one another and create a seat at the table for other women. n

Reduce operational expenditure and resource use with the support of the National Cleaner Production Centre, industrial decarbonisation support programme.

The NCPC supports companies to identify and implement decarbonisation measures focused on improving energy and water efficiency, by ensuring efficient use of equipment, optimizing manufacturing processes and skills development.

The NCPC’s impact!

Green skills impact 2010 – 2025 Energy and resource efficiency training

475 GWh of energy saved

420

10 200

experts

professionals trained 10-year Savings by industry

R1.8 billion cumulative cost savings

325 local trainers

9.5m tCO2e

GHG emissions mitigated

Contact the NCPC for interventions at ncpc@csir.co.za or visit www.ncpc.co.za to learn more.

original training courses

Funded by the dtic, hosted by the CSIR

THA 07-2026

FIBRE CIRCLE

Turning

Circular Ambition INTO ACTION South Africa’s transition to a circular economy is about far more than recovering waste. It is about rethinking how resources are used, how businesses create value and, importantly, how economic opportunity can be shared across communities. At the centre of this transition are leaders who understand that meaningful change requires more than policy and compliance. It requires collaboration, innovation and a willingness to build systems that work for everyone across the value chain.

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As part of The Green Agenda’s Women Leading South Africa’s Circular Economy feature, we speak to Edith Leeuta, CEO of Fibre Circle, about the organisation’s evolving role in advancing fibre recovery and building a more inclusive circular economy.

Our approach has therefore been to build partnerships across industry, government, municipalities, schools, recyclers, waste pickers and communities to create practical solutions that deliver measurable impact. We have expanded environmental education, strengthened municipal collaboration, supported buy-back centres, invested in better data systems, and promoted greater participation across the recycling value chain.

Under Leeuta’s leadership, Fibre Circle has sought to position Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) as more than a regulatory obligation. Its work brings together industry, government, municipalities, recyclers, waste pickers, schools and communities in an effort to strengthen recycling systems while creating opportunities for enterprise development and economic participation.

My leadership philosophy has always been people-centred. My background in human resources, organisational development and entrepreneurship taught me that lasting change is driven by people working towards a shared purpose. I believe leadership is about creating an environment where others can succeed, listening to different perspectives, and building trust across diverse stakeholders. The circular economy requires collaboration rather than competition, and those principles continue to guide everything we do at Fibre Circle.

From digital innovations such as FibreCoin and the National Waste Facilities Locator, to strengthening partnerships and opening pathways for women, youth and small businesses, Leeuta’s perspective reflects a broader shift in how South Africa can approach circularity —not simply as an environmental imperative, but as an opportunity for economic transformation.

Q: South Africa's circular economy is evolving rapidly as industries move from a linear 'take-make-dispose' model towards resource efficiency and regeneration. From your perspective, what are the biggest opportunities and challenges facing the fibre recovery sector over the next five years, and how can collaboration accelerate this transition?

In this conversation, she shares her leadership vision, the opportunities and challenges facing the fibre recovery sector, the role of technology in transforming EPR, and why greater inclusion could be one of the defining features of South Africa’s circular economy journey.

A: The biggest opportunity is to demonstrate that paper and paper packaging recovery can deliver far more than recycling targets. It can contribute meaningfully to job creation, enterprise development, environmental protection and more resilient local economies. As EPR continues to mature, we have an opportunity to strengthen municipal partnerships, integrate informal waste reclaimers into formal systems, improve eco-design and recyclability, and increase public participation through education.

Q: As one of South Africa's leading women driving the circular economy, your leadership has helped redefine Fibre Circle's role beyond compliance. What has been your vision for transforming the organisation into a catalyst for circular economy innovation, and what leadership principles have guided that journey? A: When I joined Fibre Circle, my vision was to position the organisation as more than an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme focused on compliance. I wanted us to become a catalyst for environmental sustainability, socio-economic development, and circular economy innovation. Compliance is important, but it should be the starting point, not the end goal.

However, significant challenges remain. South Africa still needs stronger collection infrastructure, better waste data, increased separation-at-source, and greater collaboration across the value chain. No single organisation can solve these challenges alone. The next phase of EPR should also place greater emphasis on economic inclusion by creating procurement opportunities for women-owned businesses, supporting youth entrepreneurs, investing in digital platforms that improve market access, and

Q: Fibre Circle has introduced digital innovations such as FibreCoin and the National Waste Facilities Locator to strengthen recycling participation and improve value-chain transparency. How do you see digital technologies transforming Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), empowering recyclers, communities and accelerating South Africa's transition to a more inclusive circular economy? A: Digital technology has the potential to fundamentally transform how EPR is implemented by making the recycling ecosystem more connected, transparent and accessible. Platforms such as FibreCoin will encourage public participation by rewarding positive recycling behaviour, while tools like the National Waste Facilities Locator make it easier for households, businesses and communities to identify recycling facilities and participate in the circular economy. Together, these innovations improve access, increase transparency and strengthen data quality across the recycling value chain. Digital technologies also create opportunities to empower waste reclaimers, SMMEs and communities by improving access to markets, enabling more accurate reporting, and supporting evidence-based decision-making. At Fibre Circle, we see technology as an enabler of inclusion. It allows us to better connect producers, municipalities, recyclers and communities while improving accountability and measuring the real impact of EPR beyond compliance.

Q: With many direct-selling companies and cosmetic, health, and beauty brands forming part of your registered member base, how do you see these businesses contributing to circular economy practices beyond compliance? Are there opportunities to work with brands, their sales networks, and consumers to improve the collection and recovery of materials such as label backing paper, while creating greater awareness and participation throughout the value chain?

FIBRE CIRCLE

ensuring that funding reaches grassroots enterprises. If inclusion becomes a core performance indicator, rather than simply an outcome, the fibre recovery sector can become an even stronger driver of South Africa's circular economy.

A: There is enormous potential for brands to influence consumer behaviour because they engage directly with millions of South Africans every day. Compliance with EPR regulations is important, but leading brands can go much further by embedding circular thinking into product design, packaging choices, consumer education and collection initiatives. For example, materials such as label backing paper often represent untapped recovery opportunities. Through collaboration with manufacturers, converters, retailers, direct-selling networks and recyclers, we can develop practical collection systems that recover these materials while raising awareness throughout the value chain. The most successful circular economy initiatives are those where producers, consumers and recyclers all understand the role they play. By working together, brands can help build a culture where recycling becomes an everyday habit rather than an afterthought, while simultaneously creating new opportunities for recyclers and small enterprises. Q: What message would you share with the next generation of women aspiring to lead in sustainability, environmental management and the circular economy? Furthermore, what gives you the greatest optimism about South Africa’s journey towards a more regenerative and inclusive future? A: My message is simple: never underestimate the value of your unique perspective. Lead with competence, integrity and purpose. Stay curious, continue learning, build meaningful relationships, and never allow fear or self-doubt to define the size of your ambition. Leadership is not about having all the answers; it is about asking the right questions, listening deeply and creating opportunities for others to succeed. What gives me the greatest optimism is the growing recognition that sustainability and inclusive economic development are not separate goals they reinforce one another. Across South Africa, we are seeing greater collaboration between industry, government, municipalities, communities and the informal sector. We are also seeing more young people, women entrepreneurs and local communities actively participating in recycling and the circular economy. I believe South Africa has everything it needs to become a global leader in building a circular economy that creates environmental value while improving lives. Our success will not only be measured by the tonnes of paper recovered, but by the businesses we help grow, the livelihoods we support, and the communities we empower. n

CEO of Fibre Circle

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Edith Leeuta

PAMSA

Powering a Circular Bioeconomy: Jane Molony on the

Future of South Africa’s Fibre-Based Industry South Africa’s transition towards a more circular and resourceefficient economy is creating new opportunities for industries built around renewable resources. At the heart of this transformation is the forest products sector, where renewable fibre, recycling, manufacturing innovation and responsible resource management are converging to create new pathways towards a lower-carbon economy. For Jane Molony, Executive Director of the Paper and Allied Manufacturers of South Africa (PAMSA), this transition is not a new direction for the industry, but an evolution of work that has been underway for decades. “The paper industry has practised the circular approach for decades – long before it became the language of policy,” Molony explains. “We didn’t chase circularity; we were built on it.” Her perspective is particularly relevant as PAMSA enters a new chapter, having repositioned itself around the vision of “Powering a Circular Bioeconomy” and expanded its name from the Paper Manufacturers Association of South Africa to the Paper and Allied Manufacturers of South Africa. The change reflects an industry that increasingly extends beyond traditional perceptions of paper to encompass renewable materials, advanced manufacturing, recycling, research, innovation and the development of new bio-based products.

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The paper industry has practised the circular approach for decades – long before it became the language of policy,” Molony explains. “We didn’t chase circularity; we were built on it.

A sector built around renewability Molony’s connection to sustainability is rooted in values shaped by her upbringing. Coming from a family with a long farming legacy, she says she developed a deep respect for nature, the land and the responsibility people have as stewards of natural resources. At the same time, she stresses that environmental responsibility cannot be separated from economic realities.

“For me, balancing the role of people, planet and prosperity is so important,” she says. That balance is reflected in the nature of the paper and forest products value chain. Paper products are made from bio-based fibre, including wood fibre, recycled fibre and bagasse. Fibre can be recycled multiple times before new fibre is required, creating a system in which renewable resources and recycling complement one another. In South Africa, sustainably managed plantations provide the virgin fibre required to replenish the recycling loop. According to Molony, fast-growing eucalyptus and pine trees are cultivated specifically for this purpose, with plantations managed according to sustainability and certification requirements. The circularity extends beyond the fibre itself. Mills increasingly operate close to closed-loop systems by reusing process water, recovering fibre and using bark as a biomass energy source. Paper fibre can also be recovered and recycled into new products, including boxes, tissue and protective packaging.

For Molony, EPR formalises a principle that the sector has long practised: taking responsibility for what happens to products at the end of their useful life. PAMSA established Fibre Circle, an independent producer responsibility organisation, in 2019 – before EPR became a legal requirement. The association also convenes the Paper Recycling Forum, bringing together stakeholders across the value chain to strengthen recycling and ensure that local recycling manufacturers are not negatively affected by policy or excessive exports. The broader objective is to improve collection, encourage packaging designed for recyclability and increase recovery rates.

From paper to a circular bioeconomy The decision to reposition PAMSA under the banner “Powering a Circular Bioeconomy” signals the changing nature of the industry. For more than three decades, PAMSA has represented the majority of South Africa’s pulp, paper, board and tissue manufacturers. Yet Molony believes the word “paper” can sometimes obscure the breadth and sophistication of the modern forest-based industry. The sector is now exploring how renewable wood fibre can be transformed into an increasingly diverse range of products and materials.

“Through research and development, we are finding ways to use every part of the tree, advance resource-efficient manufacturing, and substitute fossil-based materials with renewable, carbon-storing alternatives derived from wood fibre,” she says.

PAMSA

This established recycling infrastructure is one reason PAMSA has welcomed the implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR).

Cellulose and dissolving wood pulp already have applications in sectors such as food, medicine and cosmetics. Further innovation is opening possibilities around xylitol, bio-composites, cellulosebased films, lignin-derived biodegradable alternatives and nanocellulose. Process by-products that were previously regarded as waste streams are also becoming potential sources of value. This is the essence of the circular bioeconomy: extracting greater value from renewable biological resources while reducing waste and dependence on fossil-based materials. PAMSA’s new positioning line, “Manufacturing the Remarkable,” seeks to capture this transformation – and challenge outdated perceptions of an industry sometimes associated primarily with traditional paper products. Molony believes the sector should instead be recognised as resilient, innovative and increasingly important to the transition towards a circular economy.

Women shaping the future of industry Molony’s leadership also reflects the growing role of women in sectors historically dominated by men, particularly in engineering and industrial manufacturing. Her leadership philosophy is centred on developing others. “I believe that a good leader grows great leaders,” she says, explaining that she focuses on providing positive and constructive feedback while trusting and empowering her team to make decisions. She is encouraged by the increasing number of women entering technical and engineering fields and points to PAMSA’s Masters in Engineering Bursary Programme as one example of how women are making their mark in the sector. For Molony, diversity strengthens innovation because different perspectives bring important nuances to decision-making and problem-solving. Yet she is equally clear that leadership should not become a competition between genders. “Women are resilient and offer an important nuance to any gathering,” she says, while emphasising that successful leaders should surround themselves with capable people and give them room to grow.

Collaboration as a catalyst

Jane Molony Executive Director of the Paper and Allied Manufacturers of South Africa (PAMSA),

Building a circular bioeconomy cannot be achieved by one organisation or industry working in isolation. PAMSA works across the forest products value chain through platforms such as the Forest Value Chain Forum, which brings together organisations representing forestry, sawmilling, wood preservation, utility poles, furniture and the board sector.

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It is an approach that places leadership less around individual recognition and more around creating an environment in which talent can flourish.

PAMSA

The association also maintains relationships with universities participating in its Masters in Engineering Programme and works with business and industry structures on issues including water, air quality, energy, biodiversity and education. Skills development is another important pillar.

PAMSA is also focusing on biodiversity and environmental disclosure, with the aim of developing consistent approaches that allow members to communicate their environmental performance clearly and collectively.

New forums focused on recycling and tissue are further strengthening collaboration across the sector.

Manufacturing the remarkable

For Molony, advocacy is a continuous process because the policy and operating environment is constantly evolving. Behind all of this, however, she credits PAMSA’s people. “The PAMSA team is made up of people who are each unique and essential to the whole,” she says.

Building a resilient and competitive future Looking ahead, PAMSA’s strategy is centred on being a credible voice and catalyst for a resilient, agile and competitive industry. For Molony, the word “catalyst” is particularly important. The association’s role, she explains, is not simply to represent its members but to help them remain ahead of a rapidly changing environment while strengthening South African manufacturers of renewable, bio-based products. THE GREEN AGENDA | ISSUE 14

Innovation cannot happen without skilled workers, strong talent pipelines, research and knowledge sharing. Developing these capabilities will therefore remain central to the industry’s future.

PAMSA works closely with the Fibre Processing and Manufacturing (FP&M) SETA and the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO), while also developing occupational programmes for the pulp and paper industry to address skills needs within mills.

At government level, PAMSA continues to engage with departments including the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition and the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment.

The third – and one Molony describes as particularly close to her heart – is people.

This agenda rests on several priorities. The first is positioning pulp and paper as a recognised leader in the transition to a low-carbon circular economy. This requires credible data and a clear understanding of the sector’s environmental, economic and social contribution. The second is ensuring a fair and competitive operating environment, including trade and policy frameworks that support rather than penalise local manufacturing.

South Africa’s circular economy conversation is increasingly moving beyond recycling alone. It is becoming a conversation about how renewable resources are produced, transformed, used, recovered and transformed again. For the paper and forest products sector, this creates an opportunity to demonstrate what a mature circular industry can look like – one that combines renewable resources, recycling, innovation, manufacturing, skills development and economic value. Molony’s message is that the sector should not be viewed simply through the lens of paper. It is part of a much broader bioeconomy with the potential to replace fossil-based materials, create new products, support livelihoods and contribute to climate and environmental objectives. As PAMSA moves forward with its vision of “Powering a Circular Bioeconomy,” the challenge will be to translate this potential into continued innovation, stronger partnerships and measurable impact. For Molony, the future is ultimately about ensuring that South Africa’s renewable fibre resources are used intelligently, responsibly and productively – creating value for people, the planet and the economy. And that, perhaps, is what makes the industry’s next chapter so remarkable. n

EWASA

The Role of Women in

Shaping South Africa’s Circular Women are turning circulareconomy ambition into practical systems, enterprises and opportunities across South Africa.

A sector being shaped by women South Africa’s transition to a circular economy is being shaped by people who see opportunity where others see waste, and women are increasingly among the leaders driving that change. Within the eWASA network, women help producers meet their Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) obligations, lead recycling and recovery operations, build enterprises and connect communities with practical solutions. Their work creates value on several fronts. It diverts material from landfill, supports jobs, strengthens local supply chains and helps communities participate in a more resilient economy. These contributions deserve more than seasonal recognition. Making women’s expertise visible strengthens the sector by showing where leadership already exists and where further investment, collaboration and opportunity can produce measurable results.

What a circular economy means A circular economy aims to prevent waste and keep products and materials in use for as long as possible. Instead of following a linear pattern of taking resources, making products and discarding them, circular systems retain value through better design, reduced consumption, reuse, repair, refurbishment, collection and recycling. This approach responds directly to South Africa’s environmental and economic realities. Landfill space remains under pressure, many valuable materials leave the productive economy too soon, and unemployment continues to limit household and community resilience. Circular activity can address these challenges by creating work and enterprise opportunities around products and materials that still have value. The 5Rs circular economy framework offers a practical way to apply this thinking. It encourages organisations and consumers to refuse what they do not need, reduce resource use, reuse products, repurpose materials and recycle responsibly. EPR is one of the mechanisms that helps turn these principles into coordinated action. It places responsibility on producers for the post-consumer stage of identified products and connects producers, Producer Responsibility Organisations (PROs), collectors, logistics providers, recyclers and other value-chain partners. Policy creates the framework, but capable people and businesses turn systems, materials and ideas into action.

Women leading across the value chain

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Women lead and contribute at every point where waste can become a resource. On the producer side, sustainability and compliance professionals interpret EPR requirements, track performance, engage suppliers and help teams make better material and product decisions. In collection and logistics, women coordinate people, routes, partnerships and volumes. Within recycling and refurbishment businesses, they manage operations, quality, customers, staff and commercial growth.

The eWASA network reflects this range. Women in producer organisations turn sustainability commitments into measurable action through compliance, reporting, product development and packaging decisions. Across collection, logistics, refurbishment and recycling, they coordinate operations, maintain quality and safety, and build commercial partnerships. Women leading community programmes and circular enterprises connect awareness, skills development and material recovery with routes into dignified work. Across the network, women translate circular-economy goals into daily practice. They track environmental performance, support

Women also help extend the benefits of circularity beyond material recovery. Through training, awareness campaigns, cleanups, collection drives and enterprise support, they help people understand the value of separating and returning materials. Working as recyclers, refurbishers, collectors, educators and project managers women strengthen the local systems on which national EPR performance depends. These examples matter because leadership in the circular economy does not belong to a single job title, qualification or material stream. It can be found in strategic planning, environmental data, stakeholder engagement, technical problem-solving, collection systems, education and day-to-day operations. Each role helps build the chain of responsibility required to keep products and materials in circulation. When organisations recognise this breadth of expertise, they can make better use of the talent already present in the sector. They can also create clearer routes for women to progress from entry-level and operational roles into specialist, managerial and board-level positions.

Women entrepreneurs turning waste into opportunity Women entrepreneurs often start with a practical observation: a material is being discarded, a service is missing, or a community lacks a reliable route into the formal recycling system. A circular enterprise turns that gap into a business solution. Opportunities exist in collection, sorting, logistics, repair, refurbishment, recycling, upcycling, circular product design and environmental education. A collector can build reliable supply relationships with households or businesses. A repair enterprise can extend the useful life of electrical equipment. A recycler can process recovered material for secondary markets. An educator can help schools, workplaces and communities separate materials correctly and participate in take-back programmes. The business case matters as much as the environmental benefit. A viable enterprise needs customers, dependable material flows, suitable equipment, safe working conditions and access to markets. It also needs contracts and payment terms that support cash flow. When industry partners procure from womenled businesses, share technical knowledge and build long-term supplier relationships, they help those enterprises move from survival to sustainable growth.

The principle is simple: the circular economy is not only about managing waste better. It is about building businesses, skills and opportunities around materials that still have value.

Representation matters Visibility expands what people believe is possible. When young women see female engineers, sustainability managers, recyclers,

Recognition can also challenge narrow perceptions of waste management. The sector includes science, data, product design, compliance, logistics, education, communications, finance and entrepreneurship. Showing women at work across these fields helps attract people with varied skills and professional backgrounds. Visibility must lead to opportunity. Organisations can profile women’s achievements, invite women to speak as technical experts, include women-led enterprises in supplier development and create access to projects with meaningful responsibility. Strong representation can then support mentorship, collaboration, inclusive procurement and commercial growth.

Building the next generation of leaders The next step is to turn recognition into practical pathways. Established leaders can mentor women entering the sector and share the lessons that formal training does not always cover. These may include negotiating supply agreements, managing material quality, interpreting regulations, building a customer base or leading teams through operational pressure. Skills development should reflect the range of opportunities in the circular economy. South Africa needs technical and business capability in recycling operations, repair, logistics, EPR compliance, health and safety, data management, entrepreneurship and digital administration. Training becomes more valuable when participants can apply it through workplace experience, project leadership or enterprise support.

“

Within the eWASA network, women help producers meet their Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) obligations, lead recycling and recovery operations, build enterprises and connect communities with practical solutions. Organisations can act now. They can make career pathways visible, give women responsibility for high-impact projects, build stronger supplier and entrepreneur networks, and support women-led circular enterprises to scale. Industry, PROs, government, educational institutions and communities all have a role in creating these routes. Most importantly, the sector should recognise expertise at every level. A woman coordinating a community collection network may hold operational insight that can improve national programme design. An early-career sustainability professional may identify a data or product-design issue that has been overlooked. Leadership grows when organisations create room for knowledge to be heard and acted on.

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Support should respond to the stage and needs of the business. An emerging collector may need equipment and a secure offtake agreement. Likewise, a recycler may need finance, technical certification or higher and more consistent volumes. Whereas a repair business may need access to parts, product information and customers. Effective partnerships start by understanding the obstacle that prevents the enterprise from taking its next commercial step.

entrepreneurs and operations leaders, circular-economy careers become more tangible. The sector gains role models, but it also gains a stronger pipeline of future specialists, innovators and business owners.

EWASA

EPR reporting, coordinate take-back and collection activities, manage material quality and safety, and build relationships between producers, waste handlers, municipalities and communities. This work gives organisations the reliable data, recovered volumes and operational insight they need to improve programmes and meet their responsibilities.

EWASA

Connecting the dots eWASA brings together stakeholders across EPR, waste management and circular-economy value chains. This network creates a platform to share practical knowledge, connect producers with service providers and recognise the people building effective systems.

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As a connector, eWASA can help make women’s contributions more visible, spotlight women-led enterprises and encourage collaboration between producers, recyclers, entrepreneurs and communities. Its growing collection of circular-economy case studies can also show how partnerships move materials out of landfill and into productive use.

eWASA members can strengthen this work by sharing success stories, identifying emerging leaders and opening their networks to women-owned suppliers and specialists. Through practical collaboration, the sector can make opportunity more accessible and help strong ideas travel further.

A more inclusive circular future Women are already making a material difference to South Africa’s circular economy. Their leadership, technical expertise

and entrepreneurship turn environmental challenges into business, employment and community opportunities. The task now is to recognise that contribution consistently and build on it. Organisations can partner with women-owned enterprises, support mentorship, create routes into decisionmaking roles and share the stories that show what effective circular leadership looks like. A more circular South Africa will be built by people willing to rethink waste, create value and lead practical change. Women across the eWASA network are already helping to make that future possible; let’s celebrate their efforts. n

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LEADING SOUTH AFRICA’S

Circular Economy

INNOVATING TODAY. SUSTAINING TOMORROW.

The circular economy is not only changing how South Africa uses its resources - it is changing who is leading the change.

The Green Agenda shines a spotlight on the women driving this movement forward — breaking barriers, challenging convention and proving that meaningful economic and environmental change begins with bold leadership.

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These are the women leading the transition. These are the voices shaping South Africa’s circular future.

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Across industries and communities, Women are stepping forward as innovators, decision-makers, entrepreneurs and changemakers, turning environmental challenges into opportunities for growth, inclusion and transformation. From recycling and manufacturing to energy, policy, technology and community development, their leadership is helping shape a more resilient and regenerative economy.

TELLY CHAUKE Advancing a More

Circular Future Through Waste Waste management is no longer simply about what happens after something is thrown away. It is increasingly about rethinking how resources are designed, used, recovered and returned to the economy - and women such as Telly Chauke are helping to drive that transformation.

waste challenges cannot be solved by one organisation or sector alone. Municipalities, businesses, producers, recyclers, communities and consumers all have a role to play in creating a system where resources remain in circulation for longer and less waste ends up in landfill.

As a leading voice in South Africa’s recycling and waste management sector, Chauke represents a new generation of leaders who understand that the transition to a circular economy requires more than infrastructure and policy. It requires collaboration, innovation, public awareness and a fundamental shift in how society views waste.

Chauke’s leadership also highlights the critical role of women in shaping South Africa’s circular economy. Across the waste and recycling value chain, women are increasingly influencing strategy, driving innovation, building partnerships and creating opportunities that connect environmental responsibility with inclusive economic development.

Her work reflects the growing importance of recycling as a driver of environmental sustainability, economic opportunity and social impact. From strengthening recycling value chains to encouraging greater participation in waste recovery, Chauke has consistently championed the idea that materials discarded today can become valuable resources for tomorrow.

As South Africa accelerates its journey towards a more resourceefficient economy, voices such as Chauke’s are helping to redefine waste - not as an end point, but as the beginning of another cycle.

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At the heart of this approach is the recognition that South Africa’s

Telly Chauke is part of a growing movement of Women demonstrating that leadership in waste management is leadership in South Africa’s circular economy - turning discarded resources into new possibilities for people, business and the planet. n

Telly Chauke Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Petco

Meeting targets for 99% of the packaging tonnages placed on the market by our members wouldn’t be possible without the waste pickers, buy-back centres, contracted recyclers, producers and government who keep the circular economy moving. These stats represent the work of the collection and recycling industry and reflect a unique truth about recycling: we don’t wait for opportunity, we create it. In 2025, our contracted recyclers purchased over R600 million worth of post-consumer packaging from the collection sector and sustained 8,560 income opportunities for waste pickers across the country. It doesn’t end there. Your impact extended beyond the economy and into the environment: • • • •

389,000 tonnes of carbon emissions were alleviated.* 86,000 m3 of landfill space saved.* PET plastic bottles and jars: 90% collection and 87% recycling rate. Liquid Board Packaging: 33% collection and 31% recycling rate.

*For context and detailed results, please refer to the 2025 Petco Annual Review.

Scan to see the stats. 2025 Petco Annual Review.

South Africa's Juliet Tshele on what it takes to

LEAD AS A WOMAN Juliet Tshele’s leadership philosophy is rooted in a simple principle: understand people, understand the business, and never lose sight of the bigger picture. By Evan-Lee Courie

As corporate and government affairs manager for Southern Africa at International, Tshele operates at the intersection of business, government, policy and society.

Her route into corporate affairs was not an obvious one. Tshele initially aspired to become a psychiatric specialist, driven by a fascination with psychology and human behaviour.

Her career has taken her across African markets and into complex stakeholder environments, where trust, cultural understanding and strategic thinking are as important as commercial expertise.

While her career ultimately took a different direction, that interest in people has remained central to how she leads.

Understanding people is at the heart of corporate affairs. Whether you're engaging with government, managing a crisis, or shaping policy, it always comes back to human dynamics.

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Juliet Tshele

Corporate and government affairs manager for Southern Africa at International

That understanding became particularly valuable as she moved into roles where business strategy intersects with the external environment. Policies, trade frameworks, regulation and stakeholder relationships all influence how businesses operate, and Tshele found herself drawn to the complexity of navigating those intersections.

Earning a seat at the table For Tshele, leadership as a woman has been less about waiting for recognition and more about consistently demonstrating value. “There were rooms I walked into where I was the youngest, the only woman, or both,” she recalls. Her response was to focus on delivery. “Competence speaks loudly, but so does consistency. Show up prepared, follow through, and people stop questioning whether you belong and start asking for your perspective.” That approach has shaped a leadership style that has become increasingly focused on listening, building capability and creating space for others.

Putting sustainability in the boardroom For Tshele, sustainability cannot be separated from business performance because companies depend on the communities, employees, consumers and supply chains around them. “Business cannot thrive in societies that are failing,” she says. She believes women leaders can play an important role in bringing longer-term thinking and multiple stakeholder perspectives into business decisions. “Sustainability isn't a side conversation. It belongs in the boardroom, in procurement decisions, in how we design supply chains, and in how we engage with policy.”

Resilience means knowing when to pause For Tshele, resilience has come from maintaining integrity while being willing to step back and reassess. “It's okay to take a step back and review,” she says. “Resilience isn't about never feeling overwhelmed. It's about knowing how to recalibrate and move forward with clarity.”

Tshele believes strong leadership starts with putting ego aside.

She also encourages women to build professional communities beyond their immediate industries and to remain open to feedback and coaching.

“Be human first, and don't wear the title as your identity.”

“Allow yourself to be coached.”

Her own leadership has evolved towards listening more, reflecting before acting and ensuring that teams have the right skills and expertise to execute strategy.

And, importantly, she advocates taking a break when necessary.

“One of the toughest lessons I've learned is that a capable leader builds capability in others, not just in themselves,” she says. Leadership has also taught her the importance of saying no – not as a limitation, but as a way of protecting energy, focus and the integrity of the work.

Lessons from a continent of diverse markets Having worked across multiple African markets, Tshele cautions against treating the continent as a single business environment. “Africa is not one market, it's 54 countries with distinct histories, political economies, and ways of doing business,” she says. For businesses operating across the continent, understanding those differences is critical. Cultural nuances influence consumer and customer journeys, while historical and political contexts continue to shape regulatory environments. Her advice is straightforward: listen first. “Take time to read, to ask questions, and leave all assumptions behind.”

Trust as a business currency Trust is another cornerstone of Tshele's approach to corporate affairs.

Building that trust takes time. Tshele works with government officials, industry bodies, suppliers and communities, and believes credibility comes from consistency, transparency and follow-through. “You don't build trust in one meeting; you build it over many interactions where your word matches your actions.”

Building the next generation For young women considering careers in communications, public affairs or corporate affairs, Tshele believes strategic influence begins with understanding the business beyond the communications function. “Corporate affairs professionals who understand the full value chain are the ones who earn strategic influence,” she says. Relationships, analytical skills and curiosity are equally important. “Read widely, ask questions, stay close to policy developments and societal shifts.”

'Contribute without diminishing' At the heart of Tshele's leadership philosophy is a personal purpose: “Contribute without diminishing.”

I want to leave behind teams that are stronger because I was part of them, relationships that are built on mutual respect, and a track record of work that moved the needle on issues that matter. Her message to young women is equally direct: their voices and perspectives matter. “Don't shrink yourself to make others comfortable. Build your expertise, stay grounded in your values, and remember that leadership isn't about having all the answers, it's about having the courage to ask the right questions and the integrity to follow through.” And her final piece of advice is perhaps the simplest: read. “Read… read… read,” she says, pointing to Jim Collins' Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap ... and Others Don't as her current read. For Tshele, leadership is ultimately about understanding people, building trust, developing others and using influence to create something that lasts. n

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Trust is the currency of corporate affairs. Without it, you don't get a seat at the table, and if you do, your voice carries no weight.

“There’s no point in being 'Corporate Martyr'. You won’t deliver the best when you aren’t at your best.”

MPUMI ZIKALALA Reimagining Mining Through a Circular Lens As South Africa looks to build a more sustainable and resilient economy, the mining sector is increasingly being challenged to rethink how it extracts, uses and manages resources. From mine rehabilitation and water stewardship to waste reprocessing, critical minerals recovery and decarbonisation, circular economy principles are creating new opportunities to make mining more resource-efficient and environmentally responsible. At the forefront of this evolving conversation is Mpumi Zikalala, Chief Executive Officer of Kumba Iron Ore, one of South Africa’s leading iron ore producers. Zikalala’s leadership comes at a pivotal moment for the mining industry, as companies navigate the need to remain globally competitive while responding to growing expectations around environmental stewardship, resource efficiency and responsible production.

Under a circular economy lens, mining is no longer viewed solely through the traditional model of extraction, production and disposal. Instead, the focus is shifting towards maximising the value of resources throughout their lifecycle, reducing waste, restoring ecosystems and finding innovative ways to reuse materials, energy and water. For a major iron ore producer such as Kumba, this presents both a responsibility and an opportunity. Mine rehabilitation, efficient water use, energy optimisation, waste management and the reduction of carbon emissions are increasingly integral to the industry's long-term sustainability. Zikalala represents a new generation of African mining leadership—one that recognises that the future of mining will depend not only on what is extracted from the ground, but on how responsibly those resources are managed throughout their entire lifecycle. Her leadership also highlights the growing role of women in shaping the future of South Africa's resource industries. As women increasingly take up influential positions across mining, sustainability, engineering, technology and environmental management, they are helping bring new perspectives to some of the industry's most complex challenges. For Zikalala, the future of mining is therefore about more than production. It is about building a sector that can contribute to economic development while protecting natural resources, supporting communities and creating value for generations to come.

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In the circular mining economy, the question is no longer simply how much we can extract it is how much value we can create, preserve and regenerate from every resource. n

Mpumi Zikalala Chief Executive Officer of Kumba Iron Ore

NATALIE COLLCUTT Engineering a More

SUSTAINABLE FUTURE Engineering is emerging as a powerful force in the transition towards a more sustainable and circular economy, reshaping how we design, build and use our resources. At the heart of this transformation are engineers who understand that sustainability is not an add-on, but an essential part of designing the buildings, infrastructure and systems of the future. Natalie Collcutt, Associate Director at Watkins Payne, is one such engineer. A Chartered Building Services Engineer with more than 15 years’ experience, Collcutt has built her career around sustainable, futurefocused engineering. Her expertise spans commercial, retail, mixeduse and residential projects, with a particular focus on mechanical and public health systems and the delivery of high-quality building services design. Her journey into engineering began through an apprenticeship – a pathway that gave her valuable practical experience alongside her academic development. Today, she brings that combination of technical knowledge and real-world understanding to projects that increasingly demand greater energy efficiency, lower carbon emissions and long-term resilience. Her work sits at an important intersection between engineering and the circular economy. In the built environment, circularity means thinking beyond construction and considering how buildings can use fewer resources, operate more efficiently, remain adaptable and ultimately reduce waste and environmental impact throughout

their lifecycle. Collcutt’s commitment to sustainable design reflects this broader shift towards buildings and infrastructure that are designed with their long-term environmental performance in mind. Her professional progression has been equally notable. Joining Watkins Payne in 2022 as a Senior Building Services Design Engineer, she progressed to Associate Director in 2025. In 2026, she was recognised among the Top 50 Women in Engineering by the Women’s Engineering Society, an accolade celebrating women who are making significant contributions to engineering and addressing complex challenges through technical expertise and innovation. But Collcutt’s impact extends beyond the projects on which she works. As a STEM Ambassador and mentor, and through her leadership role with SheCanEngineer, she is actively helping to broaden the pipeline of women entering and progressing within engineering. She has spoken openly about the importance of exposing young people – particularly girls – to the breadth of opportunities available in engineering. That advocacy is critical at a time when the transition to a lowcarbon and circular economy will require new skills, fresh thinking and a much broader pool of talent. Engineering solutions will be central to improving resource efficiency, decarbonising buildings, integrating new technologies and designing systems that work harder while consuming less. For Collcutt, therefore, engineering is about more than solving technical problems. It is about creating better outcomes for people, businesses and the planet – while ensuring that the next generation of engineers is equipped and empowered to continue the work. Her story is a reminder that the circular economy will not be built by technology alone. It will be designed by people with the vision to rethink how we use resources, the technical expertise to turn ideas into reality, and the determination to make engineering a profession where everyone can contribute. Natalie Collcutt represents that new generation of engineering leadership: technically accomplished, sustainability-focused and committed to opening the door for those who will shape the next chapter of the green economy. n

Associate Director at Watkins Payne

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Natalie Collcutt

DR MAMIKI MATLAWA

Powering Progress Through Engineering and Industrial Innovation

Dr Mamiki Matlawa is a distinguished South African business and engineering leader whose career reflects the powerful intersection of engineering, energy, industrial development and economic transformation. Currently serving as Group Business Development Executive at ACTOM, she brings extensive experience across engineering, renewable energy, manufacturing, business development and strategic leadership. While South Africa’s transition to a more reliable, inclusive and sustainable energy sector is too often viewed through the lens of infrastructure and technology, the critical role of women in this shift is often overlooked. Women – long sidelined in the country’s energy institutions – are stepping into roles that are reshaping how the country thinks about power, access and resilience. Their influence is no longer a footnote in the energy debate; it is fast becoming one of its most decisive forces.

The energy sector is one of the country’s fastest growing, with the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) 2025 and the Transmission Development Plan signalling billions in new investment and years of sustained job creation. The IRP 2025 alone represents a R2.23 trillion investment that will define South Africa's future energy mix. At the same time, women remain disproportionately affected by unemployment – the official unemployment rate for women in South Africa is 36.6%, according to Stats SA. Expanding their role in the energy economy is therefore not only a matter of fairness but a practical lever for reducing inequality and ensuring that the benefits of this transition are more widely shared. If the sector is to meet its ambitions, women must be able to claim meaningful space within it.

Not an abstract ambition

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Building that space is not an abstract ambition; it is already taking shape on the ground. Women are entering the sector in growing numbers, from engineering graduates stepping into Engineerin-Training (EIT) programmes to apprentices and artisans being equipped with the technical skills the transition demands.

Dr Mamiki Matlawa Group Business Development Executive at ACTOM

Women

LEADING SOUTH AFRICA’S

Circular Economy Women are moving into procurement, project management and reconstruction roles, and increasingly into leadership positions where strategic decisions about investment, innovation and grid reform are made. These shifts may still be emerging, but they signal a sector beginning to recognise that its future strength depends on drawing on the full breadth of South Africa’s talent and ensuring women are not just present but influential. Yet despite this momentum, obstacles remain. Women still face assumptions about their capabilities, often before competence is even considered. However, some institutions, including Eskom, have elevated women into senior and technical roles, showing that transformation is both possible and beneficial. But across much of the private sector, the pace lags, and women are still told, implicitly or explicitly, that the environment is “too tough”, “too technical” or “not for them”. These barriers may be subtle, but they remain powerful and dismantling them is essential if South Africa’s energy transition is to be genuinely inclusive and future fit.

Policies to drive transformation Government, industry and educators will need to move in step if this shift is to accelerate. With major energy investment on the horizon, transformation policies must be enforced not as formalities but as conditions for participation, including the active inclusion of women in technical and leadership roles.

Another powerful lever is sponsorship. Mentorship can offer guidance, but it rarely shifts the structural barriers that keep women from real opportunity. Sponsorship puts someone with influence in a woman’s corner, advocating for her, naming her for roles, and opening doors she might never reach alone. Widening that practice could rapidly close gender gaps and pull more women into the spaces where South Africa’s energy future is being shaped.

Real change also requires intention. Companies need to set clear targets, diversify their workforces and build environments where women can thrive – from providing appropriate PPE to making practical accommodations on factory floors. Eskom’s early drive to recruit black female engineers worked because leadership made a conscious decision to open doors and then support those women once inside. That is the formula. Sponsorship brings women into the room; mentoring helps them grow once they’re there. Without that intentional push, the sector will struggle to deliver the inclusive transition it promises. Diversity is an economic imperative, and South Africa cannot grow while shutting women out of the very sectors capable of lifting households into stability and expanding the middle class. When women access skilled, secure work, communities strengthen, demand rises, and the economy gains the broad base it needs to thrive. But this requires intention; leaders must set targets, open doors and actively sponsor women into real opportunity. A country that sidelines half its talent limits its own future. n

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Companies cannot justify high female unemployment while benefiting from a booming energy economy, and universities must help bring more young women into engineering, artisanship and project management. When women have access to stable, skilled employment, the benefits extend beyond the individual to families, communities, and the broader economy. If South Africa is to grow and reduce unemployment, women must be part of the energy sector driving its next phase of development.

Change must be intentional

BOITUMELO MOSAKO Powering Africa’s Progress Through Sustainable Investment The circular economy requires more than innovation and good ideas—it requires patient capital, strong institutions and investment that can turn sustainable infrastructure ambitions into reality. At the forefront of this intersection between finance, development and sustainability is Boitumelo Mosako, Chief Executive Officer of the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA). Mosako made history in April 2023 when she became the first woman, and first Black woman, to lead the DBSA, following a distinguished career spanning more than two decades across financial services, venture capital, professional services and the public sector. Her journey to the top of one of Africa's important development finance institutions reflects the growing influence of women in shaping how capital is mobilised for inclusive and sustainable development.

Turning Capital into Development For Mosako, finance is ultimately about creating impact. The DBSA's mandate is centred on promoting inclusive economic growth through sustainable infrastructure development, positioning the institution at a critical point in South Africa's transition towards a greener and more circular economy. Infrastructure—from water and energy to transport, waste management and digital systems—is fundamental to a circular economy. Sustainable infrastructure can help communities use resources more efficiently, reduce waste, strengthen resilience and unlock new economic opportunities. This makes development finance an important catalyst. By helping to mobilise investment into infrastructure and development projects, institutions such as the DBSA can help bridge the gap between ambitious sustainability goals and projects that can deliver measurable economic, social and environmental value.

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Boitumelo Mosako

Chief Executive Officer of the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA)

Mosako's leadership comes at a significant moment. South Africa needs financing models capable of supporting infrastructure that is not only economically viable, but also resilient, resourceefficient and responsive to the realities of climate change and inclusive growth.

A Career Built on Financial Leadership A Chartered Accountant with more than 22 years of experience in financial services, Mosako brings a strong financial and strategic foundation to her role. She began her career at Ernst & Young before gaining experience in the United States and later moving into corporate finance at Citibank and finance and investment leadership at Triumph Venture Capital. She subsequently served as Chief Financial Officer of the South African Bureau of Standards before returning to the DBSA. At DBSA, she previously served as CFO, with responsibility spanning areas including strategy, investor relations, supply chain management and information technology. Her appointment as CEO was a natural progression from years of experience inside the institution and its development mandate.

The Financial Engine of the Circular Economy The transition to circularity presents an enormous investment opportunity for South Africa. Businesses are rethinking how materials are produced, used and recovered; municipalities are under pressure to improve waste and water systems; industries are exploring resource efficiency; and the energy transition is creating demand for new infrastructure and technologies. But scaling these solutions requires capital. Green and sustainable finance can help unlock this potential by directing investment towards projects that improve resource efficiency, strengthen climate resilience, support cleaner production and create inclusive economic opportunities. Development finance institutions have a particularly important role to play in this ecosystem because they can help de-risk projects, catalyse private investment and support infrastructure that delivers long-term public value. Mosako's leadership represents the kind of financial stewardship needed to connect capital with development priorities—ensuring that finance becomes an enabler of transformation rather than simply a measure of financial return.

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The transition to a circular economy is not only an environmental imperative— it is an investment opportunity and a development opportunity.

Leading the Next Chapter As South Africa seeks to mobilise investment for sustainable infrastructure, accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy and unlock the economic potential of circularity, leaders such as Mosako demonstrate why women must be part of the decisions shaping where capital flows and what kind of future that capital creates. Her leadership at DBSA sends a powerful message: the transition to a circular economy is not only an environmental imperative— it is an investment opportunity and a development opportunity. And with women increasingly taking their place at the decisionmaking tables of finance and development, the future of South Africa's green economy is being shaped by a broader, more inclusive vision of growth. Boitumelo Mosako stands as a powerful example of Women Leading South Africa's Circular Economy—showing how financial leadership can help build the infrastructure, investment and inclusive economic opportunities needed for a more sustainable Africa. n

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DR JENNIFER MOLWANTWA

Shaping South Africa’s Water-Secure Future Dr Jennifer Molwantwa, Chief Executive Officer of the Water Research Commission (WRC) in South Africa, is helping to shape the country’s water future at a time when water security, climate resilience and resource efficiency have never been more important. Her appointment as the first black woman to lead the WRC marks a significant milestone for women in the water sector and reflects the growing importance of diverse, visionary leadership in addressing South Africa’s complex water challenges. With more than two decades of experience spanning water resource management, biotechnology and wastewater treatment, Dr Molwantwa brings together scientific expertise, innovation and strategic leadership. Her work is particularly relevant to the transition towards a circular economy - where resources are no longer viewed simply as inputs to be consumed and discarded, but as valuable assets that can be conserved, recovered, reused and regenerated.

Her leadership comes at a critical time as South Africa faces growing pressure on its water resources, ageing infrastructure, climate-related challenges and increasing demand from communities and industry. These challenges require innovative solutions that can transform how water is managed, treated and reused. For the circular economy, water is fundamental. Wastewater can be treated as a resource rather than waste, while water recovery, reuse and improved efficiency can reduce pressure on freshwater systems and create new environmental and economic opportunities. This approach is increasingly important in building resilient communities, industries and ecosystems. Through her leadership at the WRC, Dr Molwantwa stands among a new generation of women helping to shape South Africa’s water and sustainability agenda. Her journey demonstrates the importance of combining scientific expertise, innovation and leadership to address some of the country’s most pressing resource challenges.

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As South Africa works towards a more water-secure and circular future, Dr Molwantwa’s leadership is a reminder that every drop has value—and that innovation can help us use, recover and protect our water resources more intelligently. n

Dr Jennifer Molwantwa Chief Executive Officer of the Water Research Commission (WRC)

ANASTACIA TSHESANE Leading with Purpose in South Africa’s Transition to a

CIRCULAR ECONOMY

South Africa’s transition towards a more sustainable and circular economy is placing renewed focus on leadership that connects business performance with long-term societal and environmental value. At the forefront of this evolving conversation is Anastacia Tshesane, a new generation of influential women leaders helping to shape the future of responsible business through governance, transformation, purpose and impactful leadership.

From business leadership to sustainable value creation

Tshesane is a senior leader at PwC South Africa, where she has built an extensive career spanning leadership, transformation and professional services. She has served as Chair of PwC Africa’s Governance Board and is now CEO of PwC Southern Africa.

For leaders such as Tshesane, this creates an opportunity to rethink the role of business in society. PwC's societal-purpose approach emphasises collaboration, responsible business and solving complex challenges while creating sustained value for clients, communities and future generations.

Her leadership journey reflects the growing recognition that sustainability cannot sit on the margins of business strategy. It must be embedded into how organisations create value, manage resources, develop people and respond to the needs of society.

The circular economy demands a fundamental shift in how businesses think about growth. It challenges organisations to move beyond a traditional model of take, make and dispose towards systems that prioritise resource efficiency, innovation, resilience, regeneration and long-term value.

This philosophy aligns closely with the principles of circularity. Building a circular economy requires more than recycling and waste reduction; it requires organisations to rethink supply chains, business models, consumption patterns, technology, skills and investment. It also requires leaders who can bring different stakeholders together around a shared vision of sustainable growth.

CEO of PwC Southern Africa

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Anastacia Tshesane

Women

LEADING SOUTH AFRICA’S

Circular Economy Championing transformation and inclusive leadership Tshesane's career has also been closely connected to transformation and inclusion. Her leadership experience demonstrates why diversity matters when South Africa is designing the businesses and economies of tomorrow. A successful circular economy must be inclusive. It must create opportunities for women, young people, entrepreneurs, SMMEs and communities to participate in new green value chains—from resource recovery and recycling to sustainable manufacturing, clean technology and innovative service models. PwC has highlighted women's advancement and leadership development as important elements of its transformation agenda, with Tshesane previously serving as Transformation Leader and later as Chair of the Africa Governance Board.

Business as a force for positive change

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One of the defining characteristics of the circular economy is its ability to connect environmental responsibility with economic opportunity. Businesses that reduce waste, use resources more efficiently, develop sustainable products and rethink traditional operating models can simultaneously improve resilience and create new sources of value.

PwC's sustainability work reflects this broader shift. Its Value Chain Sustainability Insights platform, for example, uses data and technology to help organisations understand emissions across their value chains and make more informed sustainability decisions. This illustrates the increasingly important role of business leaders in turning sustainability ambitions into measurable action. For South Africa, where resource constraints, unemployment, inequality and climate pressures intersect, such leadership can help ensure that the green transition delivers economic as well as environmental benefits.

Building a future-ready generation Tshesane's leadership also speaks to the importance of developing the people who will drive South Africa's next phase of economic transformation. The circular economy will require new skills, new technologies and new ways of thinking—and women must be at the centre of that transformation. Through purposeful leadership, mentorship, transformation and investment in people, women leaders can help create pathways for the next generation to participate meaningfully in the green economy. Her story is therefore about more than reaching the highest levels of corporate leadership. It is about using leadership as a platform to influence how organisations think about their responsibilities, how they create value and how they contribute to a more inclusive and sustainable society.

A leadership model for the circular future As South Africa moves from ambition to implementation in its circular economy journey, leaders such as Anastacia Tshesane demonstrate the importance of putting purpose, transformation, innovation and responsible value creation at the heart of business. Her rise to CEO of PwC Southern Africa marks another significant milestone in a distinguished leadership journey. For The Green Agenda's Women Leading South Africa's Circular Economy series, Tshesane represents an important dimension of the movement: the understanding that circularity is not only an environmental agenda—it is a business, leadership and societal transformation agenda. The future economy will be built not simply on what businesses produce, but on how responsibly they create value, how efficiently they use resources and how positively they impact people and planet. That is where purposeful leadership becomes a powerful catalyst for change. n

Meet Unisa's NRF-Rated Researchers Recognising Excellence in Research, Teaching and Leadership Reimagining Waste as Revitalised Sustainable Products An NRF Y-rated researcher, innovator, and entrepreneur, Prof Tebogo Mashifana is at the forefront of advancing science, technology, innovation, and sustainability within the Circular Economy. Her work focuses on transforming waste into valuable resources, while rethinking how materials are designed, produced, and reintegrated into the economy through circular and regenerative systems that prioritise reuse, recovery, restoration, and renewal. Prof Tebogo Mashifana

She champions a vision of moving beyond linear "take-make-dis-pose" models toward resilient and inclusive systems that optimise resource use, minimise environmental impact, and restore ecosystems and natural resources. Her research drives systemic change across value chains, enabling sustainable production and consumption while generating long-term economic, environmental, and social value. With over 70 peer-reviewed publications, her research encompasses Circular Economy, Waste-to-Resource technologies, Sustainabili-ty, the Green Economy, and Wastewater Treatment. She has made significant contributions to the development of innovative, scalable solutions that convert waste streams into high-value products while improving resource efficiency. Prof Mashifana's work bridges academia, industry, and policy, ensuring that scientific advancements translate into meaningful real-world impact and support sustainable development. THE GREEN AGENDA | ISSUE 14

Define tomorrow.

Shameela Soobramoney Advancing Sustainability Through Business, Finance and Collective Action Shameela Soobramoney, Chief Executive Officer of the National Business Initiative (NBI), is helping to drive that shift by placing sustainability, climate action and responsible business at the heart of South Africa’s economic transformation. A respected sustainability and corporate strategy leader, Soobramoney has extensive experience across business, financial markets and sustainable development. Since joining the NBI as CEO in April 2023, she has led an organisation committed to collective business action and partnerships that support a more sustainable, inclusive and resilient South Africa.

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Her leadership is particularly relevant to the circular economy because the transition requires businesses to rethink traditional models of production, consumption, investment and value creation. Circularity is not simply about recycling waste; it is about designing systems that use resources more efficiently, reduce environmental impacts, strengthen resilience and create new economic opportunities.

From sustainability strategy to systemic change Before joining the NBI, Soobramoney spent more than 16 years at the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), including three years as Chief Sustainability Officer. During this time, she played a leading role in embedding sustainability into corporate strategy and financial markets. She led the development and implementation of the JSE’s Sustainability and Climate Change Disclosure Guidance, which received the 2022 Environmental Finance award for Thought Leadership in Sustainable Investing: Africa. Her work also extended to climate change, carbon markets, sustainable finance instruments and frameworks, impact investing and ESG disclosure. This experience has given her a distinctive understanding of how capital and investment can be mobilised to support the transition towards a lower-carbon and more sustainable economy. For the circular economy, this intersection between sustainability and finance is critical. Businesses need access to capital to redesign products, improve resource efficiency, invest in clean technologies, develop new business models and build resilient supply chains. Leaders such as Soobramoney demonstrate why sustainability must increasingly be considered a core economic and investment issue rather than a peripheral corporate responsibility.

Shameela Soobramoney Chief Executive Officer of the National Business Initiative (NBI),

Women

LEADING SOUTH AFRICA’S

Circular Economy Championing collaboration and collective action

A voice for responsible leadership

At the NBI, Soobramoney has continued to advocate for collaboration between business, government and other stakeholders. Her approach recognises that South Africa’s major sustainability challenges — from energy and water security to climate change, green industrialisation and inclusive growth — cannot be solved by one sector working alone.

Soobramoney’s influence extends beyond her executive role. She serves as a Commissioner on the Presidential Climate Commission, sits on the Executive Oversight Committee supporting the South African Renewable Energy Masterplan, and serves as a nonexecutive director of WWF South Africa and the Green Building Council South Africa.

In 2026, she has continued to emphasise the importance of moving beyond dialogue towards coordinated action and practical solutions. At a business roundtable hosted by Aspen in partnership with the NBI, she highlighted sustainability as central to building resilience and creating the foundations for inclusive, long-term economic growth.

She has also held influential roles in international sustainability and sustainable finance initiatives, including chairing the World Federation of Exchanges’ Sustainability Working Group and the Sustainable Finance Working Group of National Treasury.

This philosophy aligns strongly with the principles of a circular economy: systems change requires collective action. Manufacturers, retailers, financial institutions, municipalities, policymakers, entrepreneurs and consumers all have a role to play in creating an economy where resources remain in productive use for as long as possible.

Connecting climate action with economic opportunity Soobramoney’s contribution is also reflected in recognising that the green transition should not only be viewed through the lens of environmental risk. It presents an opportunity to create new industries, stimulate investment, support innovation and generate jobs.

This perspective is particularly important for circularity, where new opportunities are emerging across waste management, resource recovery, sustainable manufacturing, renewable energy, water management, green buildings, mobility and regenerative production.

Leading the next chapter of South Africa’s green economy For South Africa to successfully transition from a linear economy — where resources are extracted, consumed and discarded — towards a circular economy built on regeneration, resilience and resource efficiency, leadership will be essential. Shameela Soobramoney represents a generation of sustainability leaders who understand that environmental ambition must be matched by economic thinking, sound governance and practical implementation. Her career demonstrates how sustainability can move from the margins of corporate decision-making into the boardroom, financial markets and national economic strategy. Through her work, Soobramoney is helping to make the case for a South African economy that is more resilient, more inclusive and increasingly circular — one where responsible business leadership becomes a catalyst for lasting systemic change. n

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Through the NBI, she has supported efforts to identify and advance innovative low-carbon businesses and solutions. She has argued that South Africa’s emerging green economy companies can provide solutions to some of the country’s most pressing challenges while contributing to investment and employment.

Her academic background further reflects her commitment to sustainability leadership. She holds a Master’s in Sustainability Leadership from the University of Cambridge and an MBA from the University of Pretoria’s Gordon Institute of Business Science. She is also an alumna of the Chevening and Mansion House scholarship programmes.

PROFESSOR DEBRA ROBERTS

Building Resilient Cities, Shaping a Regenerative Future

Few South African women have done more to connect science, climate action, sustainable development and the realities of urban life than Professor Debra Roberts. A pioneering scientist, climate-policy leader and practitioner, Roberts has spent decades demonstrating that the transition to a sustainable future must begin where people live, work and build their communities: in cities. For The Green Agenda’s Women Leading South Africa’s Circular Economy series, Professor Roberts represents a powerful dimension of circularity — the transformation of cities from resource-intensive systems into resilient, inclusive and regenerative places. A natural scientist by training, Roberts has worked for decades at the intersection of science, policy and practice, with expertise spanning biodiversity planning and management, climatechange adaptation and mitigation, sustainable development and resilience. Her career has been deeply rooted in Durban, where she played a defining role in embedding environmental and climate considerations into municipal planning and decisionmaking.

From Durban to the Global Climate Stage Roberts’ influence extends far beyond South Africa. In 2015, she was elected Co-Chair of Working Group II of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) for its Sixth Assessment Cycle — becoming the first South African local-government practitioner to hold this senior role. Working Group II focuses on climate impacts, adaptation and vulnerability, placing Roberts at the centre of some of the world’s most important conversations about how societies can respond to a changing climate. Her leadership has helped strengthen the voice of Africa and the Global South within international climate science and policy. South Africa’s government has specifically highlighted her contribution to expanding African participation in the IPCC process, with more African authors contributing to the Sixth Assessment Cycle than in previous cycles. This is significant because the circular economy cannot be separated from the broader climate and development agenda. How cities use energy, water, land, infrastructure and materials directly influences emissions, resource security, biodiversity and quality of life. Building circular systems therefore requires leaders who understand not only environmental science, but also governance, communities, economics and implementation.

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Roberts has spent her career working across precisely these intersections.

Professor Debra Roberts

The City as a Living System One of the most important lessons from Roberts’ work is that cities should not be viewed simply as collections of buildings, roads and infrastructure. They are complex living systems in which people, nature, resources, economies and infrastructure are interconnected. Her work in Durban helped advance an approach in which climate resilience and environmental sustainability became part of the way the city plans for its future. The IPCC has highlighted Durban as an example of how climate concerns can be integrated into local government planning, while also connecting climate action with development, energy security, emissions reduction and environmental justice. This systems-thinking approach is at the heart of circular economy thinking. A circular city seeks to reduce waste, keep resources in productive use for longer, regenerate natural systems and create opportunities from what was previously considered waste. It looks at water as a resource, organic waste as a potential input, infrastructure as a long-term asset and communities as active participants in creating solutions. Roberts’ work provides an important intellectual and practical foundation for this kind of thinking: sustainability is not about treating environmental challenges in isolation; it is about redesigning the systems that produce those challenges. Putting Resilience at the Centre For Roberts, resilience is not simply about helping cities recover after disaster. It is about preparing communities and institutions to adapt, learn and transform in the face of changing conditions. Circularity offers a way to rethink these relationships. Durban’s climate planning demonstrates how environmental and climate considerations can be embedded within broader municipal activities and development processes. The city’s Climate Action Plan, adopted in 2019, established a pathway towards climate resilience and carbon neutrality by 2050.

A Champion for African Knowledge and Leadership Perhaps one of Professor Roberts’ most enduring contributions is her commitment to ensuring that African knowledge, experience and expertise are represented in global climate conversations. Her leadership helped establish an IPCC Technical Support Unit presence in Africa, strengthening the continent’s participation in global assessment processes. South Africa’s government has also recognised her role in expanding the contribution of African experts and amplifying the continent’s voice within international climate science.

The circular economy must be shaped by African realities — from informal waste economies and resource constraints to rapid urbanisation, biodiversity protection, indigenous knowledge, infrastructure gaps and the need for inclusive economic opportunities. Professor Roberts’ career demonstrates that Africa does not simply need to implement global sustainability solutions; it has knowledge and leadership to contribute to designing them.

The circular economy is often associated with recycling, waste management and resource recovery. But its ambition is much larger. It is ultimately about rethinking how economies operate. Professor Roberts’ body of work speaks directly to this broader transformation. Her emphasis on resilience, sustainability, biodiversity, climate adaptation, urban systems and the sciencepolicy-practice interface reflects the kind of integrated thinking required to move beyond a linear model of take, make and dispose. Her legacy reminds us that the green transition must be systemsbased, locally grounded and socially inclusive. It must create cities that use resources more intelligently, protect ecosystems, reduce vulnerability and generate opportunities for communities.

A Legacy of Transformation After three decades in eThekwini Municipality, where she headed the Environmental Planning and Climate Protection Department and later the Sustainable and Resilient City Initiatives Unit, Roberts’ influence has become part of Durban’s wider sustainability story. She has subsequently continued her academic and international work, including roles as an Honorary Professor at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and Professor Willem Schermerhorn Chair in Open Science from a Majority World Perspective at the University of Twente. Her journey is a reminder that transformational leadership is rarely about one project or one policy. It is about changing the way people think. Professor Debra Roberts has helped shift the conversation from simply responding to environmental problems towards understanding the deeper systems that create vulnerability — and, crucially, how those systems can be redesigned. For South Africa’s emerging circular economy, that lesson is invaluable. The future will not be built by managing yesterday’s systems more efficiently. It will be built by imagining better systems — and having the courage, evidence and leadership to make them real. Professor Debra Roberts has spent a remarkable career doing exactly that. Professor Debra Roberts at a Glance • Field: Climate science, urban sustainability, resilience and environmental governance • Global role: Former Co-Chair, IPCC Working Group II for the Sixth Assessment Cycle • South African leadership: Long-standing environmental and climate leadership within eThekwini Municipality • Expertise: Biodiversity, climate adaptation and mitigation, sustainable development and resilient cities • Academic leadership: Honorary Professor at the University of KwaZulu-Natal • Impact: A leading African voice connecting science, policy and real-world implementation Professor Debra Roberts represents a generation of African environmental leadership that understands one fundamental truth: a resilient future depends on transforming the systems that connect people, nature, resources and the economy. n

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For young African scientists and sustainability professionals, this matters enormously.

Why Her Leadership Matters to the Circular Economy

WiMSA

WOMEN

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IN MINING

Breaking the Ground and Owning the Shift

For Women in Mining South Africa (WiMSA), this conversation is deeply connected to our purpose. Our theme for 2026, “Break the Ground. Own the Shift”, speaks not only to the transformation taking place within mining, but also to the responsibility we have to actively shape the future we want to see. Women have always been part of the story of South Africa’s mining industry in some way but not at the forefront. Today, however, women are increasingly occupying roles as engineers, geologists, scientists, technology specialists, executives, entrepreneurs, researchers, sustainability professionals and community leaders. Their contribution is extending beyond participation in the industry to influencing how the industry operates, innovates and creates value. The shift towards a circular economy creates an important opportunity to accelerate this leadership.

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The industry needs leaders who can connect technology with purpose, business strategy with sustainability, and innovation with social impact. From extraction to full value-creation Mining will remain critical to South Africa’s economy and to the global transition towards a lower-carbon future. The raw materials and minerals required for renewable energy, electrification, digital technologies and modern infrastructure will come from mining. The question to ask is “how can we improve the way we extraction minerals in order to meet the growing demand for minerals without necessarily opening new mines?”. The answer can come from exploring extracting responsibly, using resources efficiently, reducing waste, restoring ecosystems and finding ways to retain value within our economy for longer. This requires a different way of thinking driven by diversity of ideas and innovation.

WIMSA

South Africa stands at a defining moment in its economic and industrial journey. We are being challenged to rethink how we use resources, how we create value, how we respond to climate change and, importantly, how we build an economy that works for generations to come. At the heart of this transition is the move towards a more circular economy, one that challenges us to move beyond a traditional model of extracting, using and disposing of resources, towards one that prioritises responsible resource use, reuse, recovery, regeneration and long-term value creation.

Diversity is an innovation strategy The case for women’s participation in mining is often framed around representation or fairness and those remain important. But there is an equally compelling business and transformation case. Complex challenges require diverse perspectives. When we bring people with different experiences, disciplines, backgrounds and ways of thinking into the room, we increase the possibility of challenging assumptions and identifying better solutions. In an industry undergoing profound technological, environmental and social change, this diversity of thought is not a nice-to-have. It is an enabler of innovation. WiMSA recognises the women leaders who are already contributing to this shift across the mining value chain. They are leading digital transformation, operational improvement, environmental initiatives, research, safety programmes, community development and responsible resource management. Yet we must acknowledge that representation alone is not enough. The real opportunity lies in creating environments where women are safe to participate meaningfully, challenged to lead and influence decisions. That means building workplaces where women have access to business-critical opportunities, where their voices are heard in decision-making, where leadership pathways are visible and transparent and inclusion is embedded into organisational culture. It also means addressing the barriers that continue to affect women’s ability to enter and remain in the mining industry.

The industry needs leaders who can connect technology with purpose, business strategy with sustainability, and innovation with social impact. We need diverse teams capable of seeing problems from different perspectives and developing solutions. This is where inclusive leadership matters. WiMSA’s work is focusing on empowering women so that they can participate equitably in the industry to advance its growth and transformation.

Mogaleadi Seabela - President of Women in Mining South Africa (WiMSA).

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Circularity challenges mining companies to look at the entire life cycle of a resource, from exploration and extraction through processing, utilisation, rehabilitation and, where possible, recovery and reuse. It requires innovation in mining methods, waste management, water stewardship, energy efficiency, mineral recovery, rehabilitation and the development of new technologies and business models. Technology will be an important enabler, but technology alone cannot create a circular economy, people will.

WIMSA

From breaking barriers to owning the shift

Collaboration is the catalyst

When we came up with the theme of breaking ground and owning the shift, we were sending a call to action for the industry to elevate the conversation around women in mining. We wanted to move beyond talking about physical barriers to addressing remaining systemic and cultural barriers to true transformation, where everyone feels they belong. For many years, the conversation around women in mining focused on breaking into spaces where women had historically been underrepresented and excluded. We have made significant progress as an industry, and the next chapter must be about more than gaining entry and increasing numbers. It must be about owning the shift. Owning the shift means moving from being invited to the table to shaping the agenda. It means women occupying positions where they can influence strategy, capital allocation, technology choices, operational decisions and the future direction of organisations.

Circular economies are built by multiple stakeholders working together and integrating their value-chains to deliver value to society. The complexity of South African mining industry’s sustainability challenges demands partnerships between different sectors, private companies, suppliers, government, research institutions, entrepreneurs and communities. For WiMSA, partnership has always been central to our work and we continue to strengthen our role in bringing different partners together to learn, collaborate and drive solutions. The transition to a circular economy provides an opportunity to reinforce partnerships around innovation, skills development, entrepreneurship, technology and inclusive economic participation. Women are critical to these partnerships, not only as beneficiaries, but as decision-makers, innovators and partners in developing solutions.

It means recognising that leadership is not defined by a title. Leadership is demonstrated through the ability to create change, build strong diverse teams, solve problems and leave organisations and communities stronger than we found them. The circular economy needs precisely this kind of leadership. It requires collaboration across industries, government, academia, communities and civil society. It requires leaders who can look beyond organisational boundaries and understand that sustainability challenges cannot be solved in isolation.

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Investing in the next generation

If we want a sustainable economy, we must invest in the people who will build it. The next generation of women entering mining, engineering, science, technology and sustainability must be equipped not only with technical skills, but also with the confidence and leadership capabilities to shape the future. This starts early, by continuing to empower girls to see themselves in STEM careers and to understand that mining is not simply about extraction of minerals underground. The mine of future encompasses artificial intelligence, automation, data science, renewable energy, engineering, environmental science, finance, entrepreneurship, social development and many other disciplines. WiMSA remains committed to doing this work through career fairs, critical “soft” skills programmes, mentorship and professional networks. These are some of the ways we showcase the possibilities available in the mining industry. The role of mentorship in providing guidance and support is critical and when supported by sponsorship, it open doors to more opportunities. The networks our WiMSA members get exposed to, expand these opportunities into career and business progression pathways. Together, these interventions strengthen our talent and leadership pipelines, build confidence and enhance capability for the industry.

There is also an opportunity to broaden the definition of value created by the mining industry. Value is not only measured by tonnes produced or financial returns. It can also be measured through skills transferred, businesses developed, technologies commercialised, thriving communities, environments rehabilitated and opportunities created for future generations. That is the kind of long-term value a circular economy seeks to protect.

The shift starts with us The South African mining industry is faced with an opportunity to redefine its role in a changing economy. An opportunity to rethink leadership in all its organisations in order to drive an improved safety culture and build a resilient and future-ready industry. An opportunity for women to move from the margins of transformation to the centre of decision-making. And an opportunity for the next generation to inherit an industry that is safer, more innovative, inclusive, responsible and sustainable. At WiMSA, we believe that women are not simply preparing to participate in the future of mining. Women are already shaping it. Our responsibility is to ensure that more women have the opportunity, support and platforms to lead. Let us use technology responsibly, build partnerships intentionally, invest in people generously and measure success by the value we create for both current and future generations. The future will require us to do more than adapt to change. It will require us to lead it. Let us break the ground. Let us own the shift. And let us build an economy where sustainability, inclusion and long-term value are not competing priorities, but the foundation of South Africa’s future. n

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SAPRO

RECYCLED PLASTICS TAKE CENTRE STAGE AS

crowns its 2026

CHAMPIONS Cape Town’s Silo District played host to the 12th annual SAPRO Awards for the Best Recycled Plastic Products on 21 August 2026, with MAK Plastics taking the night’s top honour as South Africa’s plastics recycling industry showcased how recycled material is increasingly being turned into commercially viable, high-quality products. The South African Plastics Recycling Organisation (SAPRO) brought the industry together at SPYCED Restaurant on the V&A Waterfront to celebrate the innovators turning waste into worth. The evening’s message was clear: recycling only works when there is a market for what comes out the other end. From wine bottles and personal care packaging to building products and household goods, this year’s winners demonstrated that recycled plastic can compete on quality, performance and design across an increasingly diverse range of applications.

show what is possible when manufacturers, brand owners and recyclers work together to find innovative new uses for recycled plastic. Creating that demand is essential if we want to keep more plastic in circulation.” Polyco’s continued backing of the SAPRO Awards is one part of a broader commitment to strengthening the recycling value chain, alongside investments that support waste pickers, recyclers, and the small businesses that keep the country’s circular economy moving. Other sponsorships came from EPR Waste Association of South Africa (eWASA), Petco PRO, and Starlinger Recycling Machinery. Across the categories, this year’s entries showed just how far recycled content can travel, from the bathroom to the wine cellar, from the factory floor to the art gallery.

“This event celebrates the growth and development in using recycled plastic in the production of new products. The significance of this work is that it creates end-markets for recycled plastics, leading to higher recycling rates and less waste going to landfill,” says Oliver Bonstein, General Manager at SAPRO.

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Polyco PRO NPC returned as headline sponsor of the SAPRO Awards this year, continuing a long-standing partnership that reflects Polyco’s position at the heart of South Africa’s plastics recycling industry.

As the largest Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO) for plastic packaging in South Africa, Polyco implements an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Scheme on behalf of a significant group of the country’s local producers, importers, brand owners and converters making it one of the key drivers of compliance, collection, recycling, infrastructure and enterprise development across the plastics value chain. “South Africa has made significant progress in increasing the collection and recycling of plastic, but the next part of the challenge is ensuring there is a strong and sustainable market for the recycled material we produce, said Polyco CEO Patricia Pillay. “The products recognised through the SAPRO Awards

Winner for the Best Recycled Plastic Product of the Year went to MAK Plastics, capping a remarkable evening for the recycler, which also collected a Gold for the BOPP Wash Basin. Chief Executive Officer of MAK Plastics, Hajira Khalid stands proud with her top honour award.

SAPRO

Here are your Category winners: In the Creative Category, the Strata Nova Light took Gold, a striking demonstration that end-of-life plastic can become an object of genuine beauty. It brought together Melt Studios as brand owner and Plastic Pioneers as the producer, using recyclate supplied by Ocean Plastic Technologies. The Innovation award went to the Eco-Flat Wine Bottle, a reimagining of one of the country’s most recognisable products that challenges long-held assumptions about what packaging has to look like. Brought to market by Stellenbosch Vineyards and produced by Polyoak Packaging, the bottle draws on recycled material supplied by Safripol. In the Packaging Category, Gold went to the Organics and TRESemmé bottles, a high-volume, everyday consumer product that puts recycled content directly into consumers’ hands. The winning entry paired brand owner Unilever SA with producer Astrapak, using recyclate supplied by Myplas and Kubili. The PCR Demand Champions category, which recognises the products driving real market pull for recycled material, was won by the Tuffy Refuse Bags, a reminder that some of the most important recycling stories are also the most familiar. Tuffy Promotions is both producer and brand owner, drawing on recycled material supplied by Myplas.

The night’s top honour Winner for the Best Recycled Plastic Product of the Year went to MAK Plastics, capping a remarkable evening for the recycler, which also collected a Gold for the BOPP Wash Basin (Household & Leisure) and two Silvers, for the BOPP Storage Box (Household & Leisure) and the Corrugated PP Sheet (Construction & Building Sector). MAK Plastics’ recognition speaks to a business working to close the loop in the circular economy and keep recyclable material out of landfill achieved hand-in-hand with its partners, producers and brand owners, including RubyNova Plastics, CoreFlute, Ozz Cash & Carry and Wave Paper. “To give recycled material a fighting chance, you need innovation, companies putting it into new products and into places it hasn’t been used before. The SAPRO Awards exist to find those companies and give them a platform, to help them reach the consumers and commercial sectors so that awareness and support for these products can grow,” says Bonstein.

Household names gave way to household objects in the Household & Leisure category, won by the BOPP Wash Basin, a practical, everyday item made better by recycled material rather than compromised by it. Brought to market by Ozz Cash & Carry and produced by RubyNova Plastics, it uses recyclate supplied by MAK Plastics.

A Special Award for Technical Achievement recognised the Plush Suede Renew Range (brand owner Adcock Consumer, producer Plastic Bubbles, using recyclate supplied by Myplas) for its use of polypropylene in a high-performance application demanding both flexibility and colour, the kind of technical milestone that quietly expands what’s possible for recyclers everywhere.

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The Construction & Building Sector produced three Gold winners, all drawing on recycled material supplied by Fenix Rising. The Demand Flush Cistern was both produced and owned by Buffalo Tanks, while KayaX’s KayaPod Duo and KayaSan Ablution Pod were produced by Fenix Rising itself. Together they made the case that recycled plastic is ready for one of the most demanding, highdurability sectors in the market: infrastructure that has to last.

SAPRO

Expanded list of winners with explanations of each Construction & Building Sector Finalist Silica Paver Tile by Atlantic Plastics & Eco Pave This individual startup business has worked closely with a local recycler to formulate the best recyclate substrate for their application. They have done their own mould making and tooling. It combines silica sand and LDPE to formulate a sturdy, interlocking and robust outdoor tile that can be used to pave without cement. Silver Corrugated PP Sheets by MAK Plastics, CoreFlute & Wave Paper It has 10% PCR content and currently uses 80t/y. It comes in 4 colours, white, grey, blue and black. Gold KayaSan Ablution Pod by Fenix Rising and KayaX KayaPod Duo by Fenix Rising and KayaX Demand Flush Cistern by Fenix Rising and Buffalo Tanks

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The judges decided to award gold to 3 products in this category as they all scored very highly, and all have great impact on their sector and they go well together. These products are made from 100% post-consumer LLDPE (that’s rotomoulding material) and are deemed to be moving significant volumes each.

Creative Category: Finalist Recycled Plastic Turtles by Robert Rorich Sculpture This artist collected beach litter on the otter trail and then made his own miniature mould in the shape of a turtle Glitter Butterflies by Jan Raats Artist

rejected materials from a product development process, mixed with some of their other substrates to make this attractive coffee table which went back to the company that sent the reject material.

SAPRO

This artist is situated in Montague and makes paintings that incorporate cut outs of butterflies from sheets of recycled plastics

Silver Fragments Series by Marco Olivier Sculptures

Silver

(Fragments of Light 1 & 2, Fragment Framed, Fragments in Old Gold, Fragment Personalised)

Safeload Shesha Box by Reproplast, PIMMS Group and Stanton Global

This year we had a very impressive return of last years winner with a bunch of new designs and applications for his artistic sculpture methodology. This year he and his team submitted 5 entries, that the judges deemed to be equally beautiful and impressive and are a great product to get conversations started.

A heavy duty, lockable, 150l delivery box for motorbikes, using 99% recycled Polypropylene. It has used 36 tonnes of recycled plastic in the last year. It is weather resistant, robust and expected to last 5 to 10 years in South Africa’s last mile delivery industry.

Gold

BOPP Storage Box by MAK Plastics, RubyNova Plastics amd Ozz Cash & Carry

Strata Nova Light by Ocean Plastic Technologies, Plastic Pioneers & Melt Studios

This is a simple storage box design manufactured from 100% postconsumer metallized BOPP (Biaxially Oriented Polypropylene).

This start-up company uses recycled or waste plastics in its special formulation to make creative patterns into plastic sheets which are then formed into brilliant designs and functions. This particular item caught the judges attention for the beautify and quality it offers.

Metallized BOPP has long been regarded as one of the most difficult plastic packaging materials to recycle due to its multilayer construction, metallized coating, and complex processing requirements.

it is a light fitting using these recycled plastic boards and a Clever technique to change the shape of the sheet material and emphasize the features of the board. The judges believe it has the potential to become widespread consumer products and in fact they have already sold a few of these items

“

The judges believe it has the potential to become widespread consumer products and in fact they have already sold a few of these items,

This innovation not only addresses one of the plastics industry’s greatest recycling challenges but also provides a scalable model for the future of circular manufacturing.

Gold BOPP Wash Basin by MAK Plastics, RubyNova Plastics and Ozz Cash & Carry This product is a simple wash basin design manufactured entirely from 100% post-consumer heavy printed BOPP, which is a very difficult material to recycle due to its inks, contaminants, and complex composition. So far, they have moved 960 tonnes of recyclate into this application. The work to recycle this waste material into a highgrade injection moulding polymer is staggering. This item has made a big leap forward in production capabilities out of a difficult market, using a difficult to process material. addressing a hige potential market sector, and potential to increase product range. The judges really liked this entry because of the scarcity of BOPP related entries into the contest, the difficulty to recycle BOPP,

Bronze

the quality achieved,

Pioneer Boards by Malta Recycling, Ocean Plastic Technologies, Ocean Network, Plastic Pioneers, Sealand Gear

the volumes driven that would have otherwise gone to landfill.

This product used recycled plastics mixed with shredded fishing nets to make a beautiful blue and white board which was then cut into shop fittings like shelves, countertops and panels. The great thing about it is how well it lends itself to engraving of logos making it great for branding in a store. Which is exactly what they did so well in this case.

Innovation

Recycled Coffee Table by Ocean Network, Plastic Pioneers, Viro Solutions In the second application of the boards the company teamed up with a packaging supply company called Viro solutions, using

Bronze 3D Prism by Rhodes University A Rhodes University 3rd year student used recycled polymers to make filament and then 3D print a housing for some scientific lab testing equipment. The model delivered was a UV-Vis Spectrometer. His department are working to make low cost testing equipment for water quality testing in the field. By using recycled PET in their 3D printer, they significantly reduced the cost of purchasing similar equipment.

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Household & Leisure

SAPRO

Silver MajiTex Nomad Duffel by Sealand Gear This product is fully made in South Africa using various b-grade, recycled or repurposed components, including recycled Nylon called Majitex and recycled Polyester. This product is doing a lot in driving the narrative, and being an ambassador for recycling, while perhaps not driving volume, its driving the conversation.

The Organics & TRESemme’ shampoo bottles have recently upped their recycled content to as much as 97% (for the black bottle) 96% (for the green bottle), and 50% (for the white bottle) and are shifting 232 tonnes per year. That’s a hec of a lot of bottles. It also incorporates a 40% rPP black lid, accounting for almost 10 tonnes on its own.

ALPAL by Reproplast, Pailpac and Almar Packaging

Gold

This product is made from 48% PCR and so far has shifted 100 tonnes of Post-consumer Polypropylene into a reusable warehousing and logistics solution. This items functions similarly to IBC’s, but is collapsible to 1:5th of the full volume, offering significant return journey savings.

Tuffy Refuse bags by Myplas, Tuffy Promotions

PP is a priority growth area, as there are not enough end-markets for the PP recyclate to go into.

Gold Eco-Flat Wine Bottle by Safripol, Polyoak Packaging and Stellenbosch Vinyards

Packaging Category

The product is ideal for applications like in the aviation industry where weight and space are at a premium.

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The product is ideal for applications like in the aviation industry where weight and space are at a premium.

PCR Demand Champions Finalist Polycorp Pipe by Taha General Traders HDPE Irrigation Pipe by Taha General Traders THE GREEN AGENDA | ISSUE 14

A recent good news story highlights a collaboration to collect and recycle HDPE bottle caps, which are all too often lost to the recycling industry. This collaboration includes Petco, Myplas, Tuffy Promotions and Operation Smile. This entry demonstrates a clever trick in applying win-win tactics where hard to collect bottles caps are collected, to the tune of 2940 tonnes incentivised by providing cleft pallet corrective surgery and wheelchairs to make the world a better place.

This is an rPET wine bottle in a flat shape, using a plastic screw-cap and wash-off label. It has the potential to disrupt the conservative glass wine bottle industry. Shifting from glass to PET with 25% rPET uptake would reduce logistics costs significantly, while increasing the market for rPET.

impressed to see just how much recycled material this product is shifting, considering how small the item is.

These are high grade irrigation pipes. While pipes are not new, this new production line has provided quality and quantity amounting to 1440 tonnes annually of locally recycled HDPE.

Finalist Vaseline Body Lotion Range by Kubili, Alpla SA and Unilever SA This is a return of last years champions after expanding their winning formula of a 50% PCR core into the rest of their range. Radox Feels Range by Myplas, Kubili, Astrapak and Unilever SA This is a beautiful white bottle for bodywash containing 25% rHDPE. Using the same 40% rPP lid as the Organics shampoo bottle. The Kitchen Syrups by Safripol, Extrupet, All4Labels, Mpact Plastics and Shoprite Checkers a syrup bottle made from 20% rPET with an interesting label that contains recycled cooking oils, which is great for raisinging awareness about recycled content.

Bronze Earth Friendly Cleaning Range by Alpla Recycling SA, KMA SA, All4Labels, Rocky Brands, T3 Plastics and Woolworths The 50% rPET into a thicker clear bottle for cleaning products gives a slightly murky, almost gray look, which actually goes incredibly well and even gives a somewhat velvet impression to the eye. The Woolworths Earth Friendly Cleaning Range team and their partners have done a great job of embracing the results given by recycled content and working with it to elevate the product.

Silver Silver Organics & TRESemme bottles by Myplas, Kubili, Astrapak, Unilever SA This product first entered the SAPRO Awards in 2017 for its use of up to 50% recycled content. This year the judges were

Harpic Bleach & Cleaning Gel Range by Kubili, Alpla SA and Reckitt This product applied the multilayer technique to incorporate 30% rHDPE into a clean white bleach and cleaning product range. The design is already 2 years old and has moved 120 tonnes of rHDPE.

This product scored highly on technical achievement and priority polymers, but couldn’t match the tonnages of others in this category, so the judges decided it would be better to create a special award for technical achievement. This is an rPP lid, which was entered last year in black and has come back swinging, in all the colours of the rainbow and with various PCR concentrations ranging between 50-100%. The performance of the recycled material is comparable to virgin polymer in terms of colour and repeat flex of the pop cap. The judges noted how the caps return to shape instantly and don’t disfigure or stretch, this helps with the tight clipping lid around the metal base. The colours are bright and uninterrupted.

Overall Winner:

SAPRO

Special Award for technical achievement Plush Suede Renew Range Lids by Myplas, Plastic Bubble and Adcock Consumer

BOPP Wash Basin by MAK Plastics, RubyNova Plastics and Ozz Cash & Carry The judges felt that this product had added significant by recycling a low grade and hard to recycle heavily printed BOPP. The product is also driving large volumes of recycling. Consumers would not be able differentiate between a basin made of this material and virgin polymer, but using a recycled polymer makes a world of difference to our recycling rate. n

Gold Organics & TRESemme bottles by Myplas, Kubili, Astrapak and Unilever SA This product was first entered in 2017 when they had 50% PCR, returning in 2026 with 97% PCR in the black bottle, 96% in green and 50% in the white bottle, shifting 232 tonnes per year. The lid contains 40% rPP and shifts almost 10t/yr. It also won a silver in PCR Demand Champs. This product scored highly because of the impressive metrics in PCR content and tonnages shifted along with the high quality achieved to be able to offer a consumer brand with such high PCR. This is a poster child for what we hope will become common practice. n

Event pictures available HERE.

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PLASTICS SA

IT STARTS WITH ME:

SOUTH AFRICANS INVITED TO JOIN THE 30TH CLEAN-UP & RECYCLE SA WEEK

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Celebrates 30 years of inspiring South Africans to take action against litter.

Every piece of litter picked up, every recyclable separated and every person who chooses not to litter is proof that meaningful environmental change starts with individual action. That is the message behind Clean-Up & Recycle SA Week 2026, taking place from 14-20 September 2026, during which South Africans are once again encouraged to roll up their sleeves and take pride in the places where they live, work, learn and play. This year's campaign carries the inspiring theme, "It Starts With Me," reminding every citizen that creating a cleaner South Africa begins with individual action. This year marks the 30th anniversary of Plastics SA coordinating this national environmental awareness campaign, which has mobilised hundreds of thousands of volunteers to remove litter from neighbourhoods, rivers, beaches and public spaces while promoting recycling and responsible waste management. Today, the initiative has grown into one of South Africa's largest collaborative environmental campaigns, supported by the country's Producer Responsibility Organisations (PROs), including Petco, Polyco, The Southern African Vinyls Association (SAVA), EWASA, MetPac-SA, Fibre Circle and The Glass Recycling Company, together with national and provincial government departments, municipalities, environmental NGOs, schools, community organisations and thousands of volunteers across the country. This broad partnership demonstrates that keeping South Africa clean is a shared responsibility that transcends industries, organisations and communities. Throughout the month of September, clean-up activities will be taking place nationwide, with the main focus falling during CleanUp & Recycle SA Week. To support these efforts, Plastics SA will once again distribute 500 000 of its iconic bright yellow clean-up bags to coordinators across South Africa, supporting thousands of volunteers taking part in organised clean-up activities across the country.

PLASTICS SA

Explains Douw Steyn, Sustainability Director at Plastics SA: "The first Clean-Up & Recycle SA Week took place in 1996 and was built on the simple belief that ordinary South Africans could make an extraordinary difference simply by taking responsibility for the environment around them. Three decades later, that vision is stronger than ever. Every clean-up, every volunteer and every yellow bag filled represents someone who chose to be part of the solution. That is exactly what this year's theme, 'It Starts With Me', is all about”. For more than three decades, the local plastics industry has encouraged South Africans to become active environmental custodians by participating in clean-up initiatives that remove litter before it reaches rivers, streams, beaches and ultimately the ocean. Beyond improving the appearance of neighbourhoods, these clean-ups help protect wildlife, prevent blocked stormwater systems, reduce pollution and promote the responsible use and recycling of valuable materials. Litter that is left unmanaged can be carried by wind and rain into stormwater systems, rivers and eventually the ocean, making community clean-ups one of the simplest yet most effective ways of preventing environmental pollution at source.

and preventing litter in the first place. When communities come together, they don't just remove waste. They build community pride, strengthen neighbourhoods and inspire others to do the same. Real environmental change starts with individual choices, and those choices spread from one person to another,” says Steyn, highlighting that their active involvement in these campaigns is about far more than simply collecting litter. The organisers are encouraging schools, businesses, community organisations, municipalities, environmental groups and individuals to either participate in an existing clean-up or organise one of their own. Information about registered clean-up coordinators across South Africa is available at www. cleanupandrecycle.co.za and www.plasticsinfo.co.za. Members of the public are encouraged to contact the coordinator nearest to them to join an existing clean-up, or to register and organise one of their own. Whether you can spare an hour or an entire day, your contribution matters. Because a cleaner South Africa doesn't begin with someone else. It starts with me. It starts with you. It starts with all of us

Key dates during Clean-Up & Recycle SA Week 2026 • National River Clean-Up Day – Wednesday, 16 September 2026 • National Recycling Day South Africa – Friday, 18 September 2026 • International Coastal Clean-Up Day – Saturday, 19 September 2026 • World Clean-Up Day – Sunday, 20 September 2026 Plastics SA, in partnership with the Sustainable Seas Trust (SST) is South Africa's national coordinator for the International Coastal Clean-Up - the world's largest volunteer effort for ocean health. The organisation is also an active member of the Let's Do It Foundation (the movement behind World Clean-Up Day) which works alongside the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to mobilise millions of volunteers worldwide to remove litter, raise awareness about waste pollution and inspire longterm behavioural change.

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"Cleaning up the environment is only the beginning. Every cleanup starts conversations about recycling, responsible consumption

About Clean-Up & Recycle SA Week Clean-Up & Recycle SA Week is South Africa's annual national environmental awareness campaign coordinated by Plastics SA in partnership with the country's Producer Responsibility Organisations, government departments, municipalities, NGOs and industry partners. The campaign promotes responsible waste management, recycling and active citizen participation in keeping South Africa's communities, rivers and coastline clean for future generations. n

Douw Steyn and volunteers with Deputy Minister Narend Singh at Cutting beach.

Join the momentum towards circularity targets as SA Plastics Pact members renew commitment to 2030 All plastics value-chain organisations who are not yet members of the South African Plastics Pact are invited to join the collective ambition towards creating a circular economy for plastics packaging in South Africa. Contact the team at: saplasticspact.org.za/contact-us/ to find out how to become a member.

The SA Plastics Pact, facilitated by GreenCape, has published its fifth Impact Report, detailing significant strides towards a circular economy for plastic packaging in the country. The report highlights that members have collectively invested over R4 billion since 2020 to redesign South Africa’s plastics economy, de-risking innovation and building long-term recycling capacity.

The report showcases measurable action across all four of the Pact’s targets: Target 1 Eliminating problematic & unnecessary plastics: Members have reduced problematic

and unnecessary plastic items by 35% (55 million units) since 2020. Significant reductions have been seen in straws (84%), plastic lollipop sticks (79%), and picnic cutlery (74%).

Target 2 100% of plastic packaging is designed for recyclability: Currently, 72% of members’

packaging portfolios are recyclable, reusable, or compostable. Since 2020, members have increased the amount of recyclable packaging on the market by 28% (or 34 000 tonnes). PVC rigid packaging, which disrupts other recycling processes, and other poorly recycled packaging have been reduced by 95% and 82% respectively.

The Pact is now transitioning to a new set of 2030 targets which were launched at the end of 2025. These updated goals include a 20% reduction in virgin plastic intensity and a shift to measuring output recycling rates to reflect material successfully reintroduced into the economy. The 2030 targets are summarised as follows:

Target 3 70% effective recycling rate: South Africa maintains a 50% input recycling rate for

plastic packaging. While national rates fluctuated, the actual tonnage of plastic recycled increased by 9.1% to 471 000 tonnes in 2024.

Target 4 Minimum 30% recycled content: Members achieved an average of 19% recycled content across all plastic packaging. This represents a 300% increase in the use of post-consumer recycled material since 2020, substituting 30 000 tonnes of virgin plastic. In particular, recycled content in PET has increased by 200% (or 12 000 tonnes).

Central to this next phase is Plastic Reboot, a global five-year project active in 15 countries. In South Africa, this initiative, delivered in partnership with UNIDO, WWF, the CSIR and GreenCape, will accelerate progress by focusing on upstream and midstream circular solutions within the food and beverage sector.

Target 1 20% intensity reduction in virgin fossil-fuel based packaging by increasing recycled content, addressing problematic item and introducing reuse/refill systems

Target 2 100% of rigid packaging to be recyclable Target 3 70% of flexible packaging to be recyclable Target 4 A 55% output recycling rate

Download the report

About the SA Plastics Pact The SA Plastics Pact is part of a combined global network of 13 Pacts, spearheaded by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and WRAP (a climate action NGO working around the globe). It is a collaboration of organisations, representing key role-players right across the plastic packaging value chain, working towards a South African-specific circular economy for plastic packaging in the country. During 2024, the SA Plastics Pact was made up of 53 member organisations (29 business members and 24 supporting members), and is administered by GreenCape, a not-for-profit organisation, focused on driving the widespread adoption of economically viable green economy solutions in Africa. Founding business members: Polyoak Packaging, Tuffy, Unilever, Heineken Beverages, Tiger Brands, Clicks, Spar, Pick n Pay, Woolworths, TFG, Spur Corporation, Myplas.

Business members: Alpla, Atlantic Plastic Recycling, Avery Dennison, Amcor, CCL, Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa, Extrupet, Food Lover’s Market, Master Plastics, Media 24, Mpact, MCC Label, Naspers, NNZ, PepsiCo South Africa, Sasol, Safripol, Superbalist, Takealot, UPM Raflatac. Supporting members: City of Cape Town, City of Johannesburg, Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE), Crop Life South Africa, Plastics SA, SAPRO, African Reclaimers Organisation, SANBWA, SALGA, Institute of Waste Management of South Africa, Consumer Goods Council of South Africa, eWASA, Polyco, Petco, African Circular Economy Network, Sustainable Seas Trust, WWF SA, WRAP, Ellen MacArthur Foundation, University of Johannesburg, V&A Waterfront, Liberty Two Degrees, Fruit South Africa, IUCN. For more information:

saplasticspact.org.za

PROUDLY SOUTH AFRICAN

Organisations Leading South Africa’s

CIRCULAR ECONOMY

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By Eustace Mashimbye, Proudly South African CEO

South Africa stands at a critical juncture in its economic development journey. As the country grapples with stubbornly high and persistent unemployment, sluggish economic growth, widening inequalities, deepening levels of poverty, environmental challenges, global supply chain disruptions, and the urgent need for inclusive growth, there is a growing recognition that our economic future cannot be built solely on consumption. Sustainable economic growth can only be anchored on production and reindustrialisation of labour-intensive key sectors of the economy such as manufacturing. Sustainable development builds resilient communities and advances the principles of a circular economy. The transition towards a circular economy offers South Africa an opportunity to fundamentally rethink how we produce, consume, and reuse resources. Unlike the traditional linear economic model

of "take, make, use, and dispose," a circular economy seeks to minimise waste, extend the lifespan of products, recover materials, and ensure that economic value remains within the system for as long as possible. However, for a circular economy to succeed in South Africa, it must be rooted in strong local value chains and supported by conscious consumer choices that prioritise locally manufactured goods and services. The principles of a circular economy mirror the buy local ethos and mandate of Proudly South African. By supporting locally produced goods and services, consumers help build stronger domestic value chains, reduce the environmental impact associated with long-distance imports, support micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), and create more inclusive economic opportunities.

consumption. Consumers wield immense power to influence production patterns by choosing products that support local jobs, minimise environmental impact, and contribute to community development.

Local Production as the Foundation of Circularity

Increasingly conscientious consumers are recognising that price should not be the only consideration when making purchasing choices. Questions about sustainability, ethical sourcing, product longevity, and economic impact are becoming equally important.

The success of any circular economy depends on proximity. Products that are manufactured closer to the point of consumption are easier to repair, remanufacture, recycle, and return into the value chain. Local production reduces transportation costs and carbon emissions while making supply chains more transparent and responsive. When goods are imported from thousands of kilometres away, consumers often have little knowledge of the production methods used, the environmental impact involved, or the labour conditions under which those products were made. By contrast, local manufacturing creates accountability and visibility. It enables businesses, consumers, and regulators to work together to improve sustainability standards and encourage responsible use of resources. South Africa possesses significant manufacturing capabilities across sectors including clothing and textiles, furniture, food and beverages, agriculture, steel, chemicals, automotive production, and renewable energy components. Strengthening these productive sectors is not only essential for economic growth but also for establishing the circular systems necessary to reduce waste and maximise resource efficiency. A stronger local manufacturing base provides opportunities for repair services, refurbishment businesses, recycling enterprises, and waste recovery initiatives, all of which are central features of a thriving circular economy.

Strengthening Local Value Chains for Economic Resilience The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent geopolitical tensions such as the war in Ukraine and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz have laid bare the vulnerability of overreliance on international supply chains. Shortages of critical goods highlighted the importance of building domestic productive capacity and developing resilient local value chains, in order to ensure sustained security of supply for economies. Local value chains create economic multipliers that extend far beyond the factory floor. When a local manufacturer purchases inputs from local suppliers, who in turn source goods and services from other South African businesses, economic benefits spread throughout communities and industries. Each stage of production creates jobs, stimulates entrepreneurship, and generates tax revenue that can be invested in public services and infrastructure.

Importantly, localisation helps retain economic value within South Africa. Every rand spent on a locally produced product contributes to domestic economic activity, while supporting businesses that are directly invested in the country's long-term prosperity.

Sustainable Consumption and the Buy Local Movement The role of consumers in driving a circular economy cannot be overstated. Sustainable production requires sustainable

Proudly South African's Buy Local campaign continues to demonstrate that localisation is not merely an economic strategy but a nation-building initiative. It empowers consumers to become active participants in economic development while encouraging businesses to invest in quality, innovation, and sustainability. For South Africa to successfully transition to a circular economy, consumers, businesses, and government institutions must collectively embrace responsible procurement and conscious consumption practices. Supporting local products is one of the most immediate and impactful actions that individuals and organisations can take.

Supporting SMMEs and Inclusive Economic Participation MSMEs are widely recognised as the backbone of economic growth and job creation. They are also critical drivers of circular economic activity. Many of South Africa's most innovative sustainability solutions originate from entrepreneurs who identify opportunities in waste management, recycling, renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, green manufacturing, and community-based enterprises. These businesses often operate close to communities, allowing them to develop practical and locally relevant solutions to environmental and economic challenges. The circular economy offers significant opportunities for MSMEs to participate in value-added activities such as product repair, remanufacturing, recycling, resource recovery, sustainable packaging, and green technologies. However, unlocking this potential requires improved access to finance, markets, skills development, technology, and procurement opportunities. Inclusive economic participation must remain central to South Africa's circular economy ambitions. Historically marginalised communities should not merely be beneficiaries of sustainable development initiatives; they must be active participants and owners within emerging green industries. By directing procurement opportunities towards local MSMEs and creating pathways for entrepreneurship, South Africa can simultaneously address unemployment, poverty, inequality, and environmental sustainability.

Innovation and Sustainable Manufacturing Innovation will determine whether South Africa successfully competes in the rapidly evolving global green economy. Sustainable manufacturing requires businesses to reimagine products, processes, and business models. This includes designing products that are easier to repair and recycle, adopting cleaner production technologies, improving energy efficiency, reducing waste generation, and integrating renewable energy sources into operations.

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Stronger local value chains also help reduce waste by fostering collaboration between different sectors. Materials considered waste in one industry can become valuable inputs in another. Agricultural by-products, recycled plastics, recovered metals, and repurposed textiles all represent opportunities for innovation within localised circular systems. For example, one of our members, SAB, launched a project called Bread of the Nation where they repurposed the grain residue generated from the manufacture of beer to make bread.

The buy local movement encourages consumers to look beyond the initial purchase and consider the broader value of their spending decisions. Choosing a locally manufactured product often means supporting shorter supply chains, reducing transportation emissions, creating employment opportunities, and strengthening domestic industries.

PROUDLY SOUTH AFRICAN

At Proudly South African, we believe that localisation and sustainability are not mutually exclusive. On the contrary, they reinforce each other and serve as foundational pillars that support a resilient, inclusive, and environmentally sensitive economy.

PROUDLY SOUTH AFRICAN

South African businesses are already demonstrating remarkable ingenuity across various sectors. From manufacturers incorporating recycled materials into production processes to enterprises developing environmentally friendly packaging solutions, innovation is helping create more sustainable and competitive industries. The rise of digital technologies further enhances opportunities for circular manufacturing. Smart production systems, data analytics, advanced recycling technologies, and digital marketplaces for secondary materials are creating new possibilities for resource efficiency and waste reduction. Public and private sector collaboration will be essential in scaling these innovations. Investment in research and development, skills training, industrial infrastructure, and technology transfer can accelerate South Africa's transition towards sustainable industrialisation. South Africa has credible and world-class research institutions such as the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) that researches, develops, localises and diffuses technologies that accelerate socioeconomic prosperity and contribute to industrial development in South Africa. We need to step up efforts to translate this rich body of work into scalable and practical applications across many industries. Importantly, innovation is not solely about advanced technologies. It is equally about finding practical solutions that respond to local realities. South Africa's circular economy must be designed to address the country's unique social, economic, and environmental circumstances while creating opportunities for inclusive growth.

Women and the Future of South Africa's Green Economy No conversation about the future economy can be complete without recognising the vital role of women in driving sustainable development. Women are increasingly emerging as leaders, innovators, entrepreneurs, manufacturers, and change-makers across various sectors of the green economy. From renewable energy and sustainable agriculture to recycling enterprises and environmentally conscious manufacturing businesses, women are helping shape South Africa's sustainability agenda. Yet significant barriers remain. Many women-owned businesses continue to face challenges accessing finance, markets, technology, and procurement opportunities. Bridging these gaps is not only a matter of equity but also an economic imperative.

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Research consistently demonstrates that diverse and inclusive economies are more innovative, resilient, and productive. Empowering women entrepreneurs and business leaders expands the talent pool, strengthens local value chains, and generates broader social and economic benefits.

The green economy presents a unique opportunity to accelerate women's economic participation. As new industries emerge and existing sectors undergo transformation, policymakers, businesses, and development institutions must ensure that women are fully integrated into opportunities across the circular economy value chain. Supporting women-owned businesses through localisation initiatives, targeted procurement programmes, mentorship opportunities, and access to finance can help unlock substantial economic potential while advancing inclusive growth.

Proudly South African's Vision for the Future At Proudly South African, we envision a future where localisation serves as a catalyst for sustainable development, economic resilience, and social inclusion.

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The transition to a circular economy represents one of the most significant opportunities of our generation. It offers a pathway towards reducing waste, lowering environmental impacts, strengthening domestic industries, and creating meaningful employment opportunities. This is the primary reason why the vetting process at Proudly South African includes checking whether companies that ultimately affiliate with us produce high quality products where the value addition happens within the borders of South Africa, but that these products or services are produced ethically by companies that endevour to reduce the carbon footprint, have sound environmental practices as part of their operations, but also treat their workers fairly and in accordance with the labour legislation of the country. Our vision extends beyond increasing local content in products and services. We seek to help build an economy that creates lasting value for communities, protects natural resources, promotes innovation, and expands opportunities for all South Africans. The transition to a circular economy represents one of the most significant opportunities of our generation. It offers a pathway towards reducing waste, lowering environmental impacts, strengthening domestic industries, and creating meaningful employment opportunities. However, achieving this vision requires collective action. Government must continue to support localisation-friendly policies and procurement frameworks. Businesses must invest in sustainable production and circular business models. Financial institutions must support green enterprises and innovators. Consumers must embrace responsible purchasing choices that prioritise local products and services. Most importantly, we must recognise that every stakeholder has a role to play in shaping a more sustainable economic future. The circular economy is not simply an environmental concept. It is an economic strategy. It is a job creation strategy. It is an industrial development strategy. And for South Africa, it is an opportunity to build a more inclusive, resilient, and prosperous society. By strengthening local value chains, supporting MSMEs, empowering women entrepreneurs, embracing innovation, and championing sustainable consumption through the buy local movement, South Africa can position itself at the forefront of sustainable development on the African continent. The future of our economy depends not only on what we consume, but on what we produce, how we produce it, and who benefits from that production. Through localisation and circularity, we have an opportunity to create an economy that works for people, planet, and prosperity alike. That is the future Proudly South African believes in, and one we remain committed to advancing.

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CLIMATE POLICY

Mobilizing Climate Finance

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for a Resilient and Inclusive Africa

Across the continent, investment is needed to strengthen food and water systems, expand clean energy, build resilient infrastructure, support sustainable cities, and enable businesses and communities to adapt to a changing climate. These investments can also support broader economic priorities, including job creation, access to clean and affordable energy, stronger supply chains, and more inclusive growth.

CLIMATE POLICY

Africa’s transition to a low-carbon and climate-resilient economy presents both an urgent financing challenge and a significant development opportunity. Only 23% of the annual finance needed to address Africa’s response to climate change is currently being met, meaning climate finance would need to increase at least fourfold annually.

Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) works across Africa to help governments, financial institutions, civil society organizations, and the private sector better understand where climate finance is flowing, identify barriers to investment, and develop practical solutions to mobilize more capital for climate change. Together, our efforts seek to ensure that climate finance not only grows in scale, but is also better targeted to the countries, sectors, and communities where investment can deliver the greatest climate and development impacts.

Building the evidence base for climate investment One critical component to increasing investment is understanding where finance is, and isn’t, flowing. CPI developed the first-ofits-kind Landscape of Climate Finance in Africa, providing a comprehensive assessment of climate finance flows and mobilization across the continent. The Landscape has since become an important source of evidence for policymakers, advocacy organizations, investors, and the media. Country-level tracking work in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa has helped provide a more detailed understanding of how finance is flowing within individual markets. Authors are Barbara Buchner and Aditi Kothari

The findings to date show both progress and persistent structural challenges. Private sector climate finance in Africa—critical to closing the gap when public finance is stretched thing—has increased significantly in recent years, reaching USD 8 billion. This growth reflects market development and more robust commercial participation. However, private investment is only 18% of total climate finance, a considerably lower share than in other regions globally. Share of private climate finance to total climate finance by region in 2021/22 14% 61%

50%

51%

44%

43%

32%

82%

Moreover, climate finance is also distributed unevenly across the continent. International climate finance flows remain concentrated in a relatively small number of countries, with the ten largest recipients receiving 46% of total funding, while ten of the African countries most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change received only 11%.

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Source: Landscape of Climate Finance in Africa 2024

CLIMATE POLICY

International climate finance flows to top 10 recipients vs. most vulnerable African countries

Source: Landscape of Climate Finance in Africa 2024

These disparities underscore why climate finance data is critical to increasing climate investment. Understanding the sources, instruments, sectors, and destinations of climate finance can help governments, donors, investors, and project developers identify market gaps, improve investment strategies, and direct scarce public and concessional resources where they can play the most catalytic role.

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Women and the transition to more climate resilient economies

Women’s leadership is essential to Africa’s climate transition. Women are shaping climate solutions and the economies around them as entrepreneurs and business leaders, farmers and workers, investors and finance professionals, government officials, and leaders in their communities. Yet women continue to face structural barriers to accessing finance and other productive resources, limiting their ability to participate fully in and shape the transition. Integrating a gender lens into climate finance is crucial not only for advancing more equitable outcomes, but also for ensuring that the transition draws on the full range of entrepreneurial, workforce, and leadership capabilities across African economies. One path to improving gender inclusion and equity is to develop and strengthen financial vehicles that can mobilize public and private capital for climate action while advancing gender-equitable outcomes. When financial innovators and entrepreneurs are supported with tailored technical assistance to strengthen the gender approach of their investment vehicles, it can significantly strengthen women’s leadership and representation within their portfolios and value chains. CPI supports this work through

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One path to improving gender inclusion and equity is to develop and strengthen financial vehicles that can mobilize public and private capital for climate action while advancing gender-equitable outcomes. several of its financial innovation programs, such as the Global Innovation Lab for Climate Finance (the Lab), the ClimateShot Investor Coalition’s Agrifood Investment Connector, and the Catalytic Climate Finance Facility (CC Facility). 46% of the CC Facility portfolio is currently women-led. Several Africa-focused vehicles demonstrate how a gender lens can be incorporated into the design and implementation of climate finance solutions. The InvestHER Climate Resilience Bond aims to improve access to affordable finance for women-owned and women-led agribusinesses while increasing the availability of climate-smart agricultural products and services for women farmers. The proposed USD 25 million local currency bond expects approximately 95% of its beneficiaries to be women-owned or women-led agri-MSMEs. The Catalyst Fund Resilience I supports early-stage climate adaptation start-ups across Africa and incorporates gender into its investment approach and portfolio

In Ghana, Amaati, co-founded by Salma Abdulai, works with women farmers to cultivate fonio, an indigenous grain that is resilient to drought and flooding. The company has trained and provided seed financing and mechanization services to more than 11,000 women farmers and is also exploring ways to create value from agricultural materials that would otherwise be discarded. In Nigeria, AlltimeFresh brings women farmers together through shared “block farms,” where they use climate-smart practices including drought-resistant seeds, bio-inputs, and solar irrigation. Its six solar-powered cold-storage facilities also serve more than 3,000 women traders, helping reduce post-harvest losses while improving access to markets. Taken together, these examples show how women can shape Africa’s climate transition at multiple levels, as founders and executives, leaders of climate finance vehicles, and farmers and entrepreneurs developing and adopting climate solutions.

Financial innovation and strategic partnerships Mobilizing climate finance at scale will require significantly greater private sector participation and a shift toward financing structures that are better suited to the barriers facing climate investments across African markets. CPI’s research highlights that these barriers are highly context-dependent, differing by geography, sector, and sub-sector, and including constraints related to financial market depth, governance, project characteristics, enabling infrastructure, and currency risk. Addressing these constraints necessitates moving beyond traditional financing approaches and matching financial instruments and mechanisms to the specific characteristics of each investment opportunity, while deploying public and concessional capital strategically to help crowd in private investment.

CPI’s work on African agrifood systems points to a related challenge: capital can fail to reach viable enterprises when investor mandates, financing structures, and enterprise needs are poorly aligned. Strengthening these connections requires better understanding of both sides of the market and more effective intermediation between capital providers and businesses seeking finance. Across these efforts, collaboration is a strategic tool that brings together the expertise, risk-bearing capacity, and market knowledge needed to develop and implement financing approaches that can move beyond individual transactions and be replicated and scaled.

CLIMATE POLICY

objectives, including a focus on women-led companies. Nordic Impact Funds similarly integrates gender and climate adaptation outcomes into its investment and impact-linked financing approach for agri-SMEs in East Africa. Emata Special Purpose Vehicle, which provides collateral-free agricultural finance in Uganda, is addressing another important financing constraint, with lack of collateral limiting access to formal finance for many smallholder farmers, particularly women.

Looking ahead: scaling climate finance for inclusive growth Closing Africa’s climate finance gap will require stronger financial systems and enabling conditions that can mobilize and direct capital more effectively. This means deeper domestic financial markets, greater participation from private and institutional investors, stronger policy and regulatory frameworks, and better information on where finance is flowing and where gaps remain. Working collaboratively to improve climate finance data, financial innovation, and gender integration will strengthen connections between the supply and demand sides of capital, improve investment pipelines, and ensure that financial vehicles are calibrated to the needs and realities of the markets. It also underscores the importance of understanding not only how much finance is available, but where it is flowing, who is accessing it, and what barriers continue to constrain investment. Achieving this will require continued collaboration across public and private actors, evidence to guide funding decisions, and approaches that enable women and other underserved groups to participate in and benefit from the transition. But with these guiding principles, we can build a financial system that is not only larger, but more effective, more sustainable, more inclusive, and better positioned to achieve Africa’s development priorities. n

Addressing these barriers also requires collaboration across actors with different roles, capabilities, and sources of capital. A recent example is the Currency Risk-Sharing Facility developed by Uganda Development Bank through the Finance in Common (FiCS) Innovation Lab. The Facility is designed to address high domestic funding costs that constrain access to affordable, longterm local-currency finance for green projects.

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PRESERVATIVE TREATED WOOD – A SUSTAINABLE CHOICE A construction material provided and renewable by Nature, with predictable performance, that captures carbon from the atmosphere and locks it away for decades, with low energy demand and a feel-good appeal appreciated by almost everyone – that’s treated wood. Wood is part of the bioeconomy, can be sourced responsibly, is a flexible and adaptable material that can be used efficiently and aligns with the concept of a circular economy. At the end of its life wood can be reused in an ongoing process of uses, recycling or recovery of energy. Wood is consequently one of the few truly renewable construction materials. Wood offers a simple way to reduce the CO2 emissions through: • the carbon sink effect of the forests; • the carbon storage effect of wood products; and • substitution for carbon-intensive materials. Not only is the production and processing of wood energy efficient, giving wood products a low carbon footprint, but wood can often be used to substitute other materials like steel, aluminium, concrete or plastics, which require large amounts of energy to produce. Every cubic metre of wood used as a substitute for other building materials reduces CO2 emissions to the atmosphere by an average of 1.1 tonnes (t). If this is added to the 0.9 t of CO2 stored in wood, each cubic metre of wood saves a total of 2.0 t CO2. Based on this, an increase in buildings whose main structural components are made of wood, will produce significant CO2 savings as prescribed by the Kyoto Protocol*. WOOD PROTECTION The natural durability of wood is limited to the heartwood, but this depends on the species, growth conditions and

provenance. Apart from a very few, mostly tropical hardwood species, most untreated wood is vulnerable to biodeterioration by fungal decay and wood destroying insects. These biological agencies also degrade the sustainability credentials of untreated wood leading to early failure in service, premature release of CO2 and economic loss, more characteristic of a linear economy than a desirable circular economy. Commercially important wood species are typically derived from locally grown well-managed forests delivering high growth rate material. Due to high demand, modern processing practices are designed to maximise wood production yield, meaning it is impractical and uneconomic to exclude sapwood. The sapwood of all species are susceptible to insect and fungal attack, and requires protection against insect attack and, in prolonged wet conditions, fungal attack. If non-durable, heartwood may also require protection depending on the wood species, the conditions of use and the service life required. Most South African grown commercially important species of pine and eucalyptus are non-durable and requires preservative pre-treatment. In recognising the short life of untreated wood when used in exposed applications and conditions, e.g., agriculture, marine and freshwater areas, structures and fencing, and the inconvenience and cost of failure, humankind has from antiquity attempted to prolong the life of wood. The discovery of the biological causes of wood damage and decay, coinciding with the start of the Industrial Revolution, led to the development of effective treatments. This has culminated in the preservatives and processes available now for many uses of treated wood that meet the health, safety and environmental requirements of today’s regulatory regime.

*International Institute for Environment and Development, Using Wood Products to Mitigate Climate Change, 2004

Commercially grown timber (sawn & round) in South Africa is primarily of Eucalyptus and Pinus species of non-durable varieties (sapwood & heartwood), and susceptible to biological attack by fungal decay and wood destroying insects. To ensure a long service life it’s necessary to treat the timber with wood preservatives. Timber is placed in a pressure vessel and put through vacuum and pressure cycles that allows absorption of the chemicals into the treatable sapwood of the timber and that the penetration and retention of the chosen hazard class is achieved. TREATED TIMBER SHALL BEAR MARKINGS CONTAINING THE FOLLOWING MINIMUM INFORMATION

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Treatment plant identification (ABCTT)

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Certification mark (SABS/SATAS/ACT)

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SANS Standard Number (e.g 457 / 1288)

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Exposure / Hazard class (e.g H4)

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Year of treatment (10 depicting 2010)

CHOOSE THE CORRECT PRESERVATIVE TREATED TIMBER FOR YOUR END APPLICATION (H classes) H2 – Low Hazard: Inside above ground H3 – Moderate Hazard: Outside above ground H4 – High Hazard: In ground contact H5 – High Hazard: In contact with heavy wet soil or in fresh water

H6 – High Hazard: Prolonged immersion in marine waters H2

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ANY ASPECT RELATED TO TREATED TIMBER PRODUCTS AND THE CORRECT USE OF TREATED TIMBER OR WHERE TO CONTACT SAWPA MEMBERS, PLEASE CONTACT:

Tel: 011 974 1061 / 078 144 6213 admin@sawpa.co.za www.sawpa.co.za

UNIDO

Building the Business Case for Low-Carbon Industrial Spaces to support the

Freeport Saldanha

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JUST ENERGY TRANSITION

Freeport Saldanha

Each site will receive technical assistance for detailed energy assessments, which will inform high-level energy masterplans and the identification of a prioritised pipeline of low-carbon energy projects. Industrial spaces are a critical part of South Africa’s economy, hosting manufacturing, logistics and other productive activities that drive growth and employment. The country’s more than 200 industrial spaces operate under diverse ownership, governance and operational arrangements, ranging from publicly managed SEZs and IDZs to privately owned industrial parks, mixed-use precincts and older industrial areas. Many of these industrial spaces face significant challenges, including unreliable energy supply, rising costs, ageing infrastructure and continued dependence on fossil fuels. At the same time, they offer considerable potential to generate renewable energy, improve energy efficiency and strengthen energy resilience both within industrial sites and their surroundings.

Perseverance Industrial Park in the Eastern Cape

OR Tambo SEZ

The five industrial spaces selected for detailed energy assessments are: • Freeport Saldanha, Western Cape • Madadeni Industrial Estate, KwaZulu-Natal • OR Tambo SEZ, Gauteng • Perseverance Industrial Park, Eastern Cape • Port of Saldanha, Western Cape These industrial spaces represent different industrial space archetypes in South Africa. Selection criteria included energy and technical characteristics, stakeholder commitment, geographic diversity, industrial typology and sector representation. Together, the selected sites represent a diverse mix of public and privately owned industrial ecosystems, including special economic zones, industrial parks and port-linked industrial developments. This diversity will enable the project to generate practical insights and recommendations that can be applied across a wide range of industrial contexts nationally. By demonstrating practical pathways towards low-carbon and positive-energy industrial spaces, the LC-PEIS project aims to build a strong evidence base for future investment and replication, helping position South African industrial spaces as key enablers of inclusive, resilient and sustainable industrial development. n

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Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber

The LC-PEIS Project aims to transform industrial spaces into sustainable industrialisation hubs by strengthening the enabling policy and regulatory environment, building stakeholder capacity, mobilising investment in low-carbon solutions, and demonstrating the business case for low-carbon and positive-energy industrial spaces through pilot projects and a prioritised investment pipeline.

OR Tambo SEZ

As part of the project, a national study has been commissioned to assess the role of Industrial Development Zones (IDZs), Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and similar industrial areas in advancing South Africa’s Just Energy Transition. Five industrial spaces were selected to through a defined set of selection criteria to strengthen the evidence base on the GHG-reduction potential of industrial energy systems.

UNIDO

The United Nations Industrial Organization (UNIDO) is implementing a project – Fostering Low Carbon and Positive Energy Industrial Spaces (LC-PEIS) - with funding from the Government of Flanders. Launched in April 2025, the project is implemented in partnership with GreenCape, the National Cleaner Production Centre South Africa and the Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), under the guidance of the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition and the Department of Electricity and Energy. The project supports the development of more sustainable, energy-resilient and competitive industrial spaces in South Africa.

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