Meet Smanga Mthembu, owner of Umphakathi Recyclers. The only buy-back centre that exchanges recyclables for funeral plans.

Tumelo Morolo started Morolo Recycling with just R300, creating a buy-back centre designed to tackle unemployment in the Orange Farm community. Last year, he diverted more than 600 tonnes of recyclables from landfill.

Refiloe Ramadikela, started Hendrina Recycling in 2020. In 2025, her business collected over 500 tonnes of packaging waste across a vast 200-kilometre area, providing valuable income opportunities while helping to keep several communities clean.

Lydia Anderson Jardine, started her waste management company, Waste Want, with a R20,000 loan and a borrowed bakkie.

Lisa Steenkamp started her business in the middle of a recession during lockdown. She started with a handful of employees and now has one of the biggest recycling hubs in Gauteng.

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