South Africa has really started to embrace the concept of transitioning to a Circular Economy across multiple sectors. South Africa is host to the successful African Circular Economy Network (www.acen.africa), co-founder and current chair of the African Circular Economy Alliance (www.aceaafrica.org/) and aligned multiple government agencies, NGO's and corporate organisations to driving the principles of circular economy. There are dozens of projects on the ground and in development in energy, water, infrastructure, agriculture, mining, manufacturing, waste, transport and tourism, with many embracing 4IR applications. From a policy and legislative framework perspective, South Africa has recently promulgated directives on Extended Producer Responsibility and the SA Plastics Pact is a well established country structure of the Global Plastics Pact. There is general consensus that embracing the circular economy will drive sustainable job-creation, uplift communities and protect the environment whilst enhancing the global competitiveness of the country.

Chris Whyte