Welcome to Green Rising – Most business happens in boxes. The idea of a circular economy – where things go round and round – is an especially ambitious one. 

• Introducing solar power or selling electric vehicles is of course not straight forward. Those folks work hard.

But building a business that centres itself in a circular flow of used goods is next level. The complexity is greater – as is the struggle to squeeze out a profit. 

• Used cars? Soapy suds? Yesteryear’s fashion items? These rarely rank in entrepreneurial fantasies as the feedstock of tomorrow’s riches. 

And yet, every green business agenda, including at next month’s Africa Climate Summit 2.0 in Ethiopia, features talk of a circular economy: Making, then chucking things is no good. 

• Circularity is key in Africa especially: The lack of many resources, or their high cost, makes circularity attractive, using what’s already here rather than importing it. 

The case for a circular economy in Africa is of course far from new. Waste has been around a long time, and so has the question of what to do with it. 

The perpetual problem of the circular economy: It didn’t work. 

• Waste collection services reached only about 40% of urban residents. 

• Rural areas were largely neglected, leading to open dumping and burning.

There wasn’t much circularity. This is what it used to look like: 

• At best there were islands of waste management and recycling. 

• One couldn't really talk about an economy that's circular. 

• Companies beavered away alone. But systems were rarely joined up.

Now however, Africa is starting to acquire genuine circularity. The connections needed to enable it are materialising at last. Slowly and imperfectly, but the change is catalytic. 

Things are becoming joined up. Critical steps have been taken. Ever more frontline businesses are working together with manufacturers, guided by new government rules, subject to civil society oversight and funded by a growing set of private investors. 

We’ve taken a look at many of the small things that have been happening in the sector, and that increasingly add up to a big thing. 

Governments started paying close attention to waste and recycling. 

• The African Union launched a Continental Circular Economy Action Plan (2024–2034) to align investments, standards, and sector priorities across Africa.

• Lagos, the continent’s largest city, commenced a single-use plastics ban on July 1, while Nigeria is rolling out a phased national ban.

• South Africa made “Extended Producer Responsibility” for packaging mandatory, as did Kenya.

• South Africa also launched a $9 billion Urban Revitalisation Initiative to enhance infrastructure, including waste management.

Private investments in the circular economy are beginning to pick pace.

• Climate Fund Managers is investing $3.1 million in a Freetown 30 MW waste-to-energy project, 

• Sierra Leone and has pledged $3 million to fund a 76 MW biomass plant in Ivory Coast.

• The Divo Biomass Project in Ivory Coast expects to raise $35 million in equity.

Innovation is reaching the frontlines faster and accelerating commercial adoption. 

• Kenya has become the first African country to deploy EasyFEN™, a proprietary waste-to-fertiliser technology, signalling a step toward unlocking an untapped circular opportunity. A $3.4 million plant is expected to convert organic waste into microbial fertiliser and pave the way for expansion across more than ten countries.

• Converting organic waste into fertiliser offers environmental relief while creating a powerful circular economy opportunity, turning a persistent waste challenge into a productive resource.

• As a predominantly agricultural continent, local fertiliser production could strengthen soil fertility, improve crop yields and resilience, and promote more sustainable farming practices across Africa.

The result of public and private investment is a spike in waste management projects.

• A new $72m waste management facility is planned in Rwanda for 2026.

• The Reppie Waste-to-Energy facility will process 80% of Addis Ababa’s waste.

• Kenya is developing the $6 billion Kakamega Waste-to-Energy Plant.

• Ghana is building a 400-kilowatt Hybrid-PV-Biogas-Pyrolysis-Plant.

Yes, there is much further to go. True circularity is still far off, and not just in Africa. 

What is still needed in terms of major steps...? Some innovators fancy robot help with waste sorting (see above). Human job creation would be an even bigger win.

New challenges also arise: Waste from solar kits and electric vehicles are an inevitable byproduct of the rising green economy. 

The African waste management market was estimated at $22 billion in 2024. It is likely to grow by $1 billion a year. That’s larger than the currently fashionable EV sector. 

And stepping up waste management strategies could inject an additional $8 billion annually into Africa's economy, experts say, fostering job creation and planetary benefits. 

Number of the week 

…  is the value of a new financing framework Japan and the African Development Bank (AfDB) launched together. Unveiled at the TICAD9 conference in Tokyo, the funding targets renewable energy, transportation and digital infrastructure.

What we’re reading

• Solar Surge: Africa’s solar panel imports surged 60% over the past year, reaching a record 15,000 MW, according to Ember’s analysis of China’s export data. Led by South Africa, Nigeria and Algeria, the increased imports have the potential to significantly boost power generation and reduce fuel reliance, with some countries, like Sierra Leone, able to generate over half their electricity from solar if all imports are installed. (Renewables Now)

• Electric Leap: Planned and completed electric-vehicle production capacity in Africa increased 22% in the past three months to 880,420 units annually, with North Africa accounting for 45% of this. (Mobility Rising)

• Crime busters: The International Fund for Animal Welfare has established a wildlife crime intervention hub in Uganda to fight transboundary trafficking routes. Uganda has become a consolidation point for ivory, rhino horn and pangolin scales smuggled from across East and Central Africa. (Conservation Rising)

Top green jobs from…

• Engie: Country Director (Mozambique)

• SNV: Country Director (Tanzania)

• Conservation Int’l Ventures: Country Representative (Sierra Leone)

• Kubik: Operations Director (Ethiopia)

• KOKO Networks: Head of Operations (Rwanda)

• M-KOPA: Head, Business Management (Nigeria)

• BURN Manufacturing: Head of Controlling (Kenya)

• IUCN: Regional Programme Coordinator (Senegal)

• Shift EV: Electric Drivetrain Engineering Manager (Egypt)

• Earth Enable: Field Manager (Uganda)