The circular economy: including Africa in Europe's circle

This policy brief examines the potential for the European Union (EU) and the African Union (AU) to collaborate on a circular economy transition in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. It argues that the EU's goal to shorten global value chains for food and medical security, combined with Africa's need for sustainable economic growth and job creation, provides a mutually beneficial opportunity to implement green recovery strategies and achieve Sustainable Development Goals.

• The European Union's Green Deal aims for the EU to become the first climate-neutral continent by 2050, with a central commitment to a circular economy approach to production.
• In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the EU announced a 'green recovery deal' with a total budget of EUR 1.074 trillion, allocating EUR 550 billion specifically for green projects.
• While most African countries lack official circular economy policies, there is significant potential for economic growth; for example, green economy investments in Kenya are projected to increase national real GDP by approximately 12% by 2030, and solar and wind investments in Senegal could create 30,000 jobs by 2035.
• The African Circular Economy Alliance was established in 2017 through a collaboration between South Africa, Nigeria, and Rwanda to promote circular economy policies and bring together experts from Africa and the EU.
• The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the EU's over-reliance on international value chains, particularly for medical supplies from Asian countries, leading to a desire to shorten production chains for food and medical security.
• The EU's 'Comprehensive Strategy Towards Africa' proposes five key partnerships: green transition and energy access, digital transformation, sustainable growth and jobs, peace and governance, and migration and mobility.
• Africa can enhance its role in global value chains by focusing on the beneficiation of minerals essential for new technologies and adopting circular economy principles in agriculture to increase production without environmental degradation.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2020). The circular economy: including Africa in Europe's circle. https://saiia.org.za/research/the-circular-economy-including-africa-in-europes-circle/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. The circular economy: including Africa in Europe's circle. 2020. https://saiia.org.za/research/the-circular-economy-including-africa-in-europes-circle/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=The circular economy: including Africa in Europe's circle |date=27 September 2020 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/the-circular-economy-including-africa-in-europes-circle/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2020circular, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{The circular economy: including Africa in Europe's circle}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2020}, month = sep, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/the-circular-economy-including-africa-in-europes-circle/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }