Beyond Linear Economies: Envisioning the Future of Circular Economies in SADC

The research examines the drivers, barriers, and 'seeds' of circular economy (CE) practices within the SADC region, arguing for a contextually sensitive approach that moves beyond Global North narratives. It identifies critical drivers such as rapid urbanisation, e-waste challenges, and climate change, while highlighting systemic barriers including lack of uniform regulatory frameworks and knowledge disparities. The authors propose a multi-level resource use system that integrates indigenous solutions with disruptive technologies and recommends regional collaboration through the SADC Secretariat and AU to harmonise CE strategic frameworks, fiscal policies, and educational curricula.

• The transition to a circular economy in SADC is driven by significant social and technological pressures, including a projected African urban population surge to 22.3% by 2050 and a waste generation increase to over half a billion tonnes by 2050.
• Africa faces a severe e-waste crisis where less than 1% of e-waste is collected through official recycling programmes, contributing to 9.4 megatons of annual greenhouse gas emissions.
• Climate change poses a direct threat to SADC's agriculture and stability; a 1°C rise in temperature is correlated with a 4.5% increase in civil conflicts in Africa, and staple food yields in Southern Africa are expected to drop by 8% by 2050.
• The authors critique the prevailing CE narrative for being dominated by the Global North, which often ignores the socioeconomic impacts in the Global South and the value of Indigenous circular practices.
• The paper identifies several 'seeds' of circularity in SADC, including the use of 3D printing to turn plastic waste into agricultural tools, blockchain-based mineral traceability via Minespider, and the Hello Tractor equipment-sharing platform in Kenya.
• Key barriers to regional CE integration include the absence of a uniform regulatory framework for waste management and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), as well as significant knowledge disparities and negative perceptions of recycled goods.
• To achieve a 'fit-for-purpose' CE, the authors recommend that the SADC Secretariat and AU implement regional strategic frameworks, develop innovative fiscal policies (such as tax incentives and grants) within 3-5 years, and revamp educational curricula to embed CE principles.

APA

PRETORIUS, F., ESHETU, B., JENTEL, L., & CLOETE, D. (2024). Beyond Linear Economies: Envisioning the Future of Circular Economies in SADC. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/SAIIA_OP_356_BeyondLinearEconomies.pdf

Chicago

PRETORIUS, FRANCOIS, BEZAWIT ESHETU, LETITIA JENTEL, and DEON CLOETE. Beyond Linear Economies: Envisioning the Future of Circular Economies in SADC. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2024. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/SAIIA_OP_356_BeyondLinearEconomies.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=PRETORIUS |first1=FRANCOIS |last2=ESHETU |first2=BEZAWIT |last3=JENTEL |first3=LETITIA |last4=CLOETE |first4=DEON |title=Beyond Linear Economies: Envisioning the Future of Circular Economies in SADC |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=April 2024 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/SAIIA_OP_356_BeyondLinearEconomies.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{pretorius2024beyond, author = {PRETORIUS, FRANCOIS and ESHETU, BEZAWIT and JENTEL, LETITIA and CLOETE, DEON}, title = {{Beyond Linear Economies: Envisioning the Future of Circular Economies in SADC}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2024}, month = apr, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/SAIIA_OP_356_BeyondLinearEconomies.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }