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This collection is part of Footprints Africa's work to build a comprehensive database of circular economy initiatives in Africa. 

This is a result of the collaboration with the <a href="https://www.acen.africa" target="_blank">African Circular Economy Network (ACEN)</a>, as part of the programme to support the circular economy transition in Africa. Footprints Africa's vision is that businesses can be a force for good at scale. Their mission is to advance sustainable, scalable and inclusive approaches to development of local African economies. Footprints Africa supports SMEs to adopt future-friendly practices, such as those inspired by the circular economy, to address the challenges of growth and create jobs. 

This open-source dataset features well over 500 cases and 200 examples of policies and laws and intent to collect inspiring examples of initiatives from across Africa, in order to inform the global dialogue, which is largely focused on the European and American context. 

To learn more about Africa's initiatives and content to accelerate the transition to a circular economy, visit https://www.footprintsafrica.co/



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Footprints Africa

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Business case

Producing agricultural products and processing them into food and beverageproducts for consumption

Agri/Food

Producing and gathering crop and animal products from land and water through farming, hunting, and fishing

Agriculture

Ensure renewable, reusable, non-toxic resources are utilised as materials and energy in an efficient way

Prioritise regenerative resources

Work together throughout the supply chain, internally within organisations and with the public sector and communities to increase transparency and create joint value

Team up to create joint value

Regenerate strategies phase out hazardous or toxic materials and processes and substitute them with regenerative biomass resources. A circular economy aims to mimic natural cycles—by shifting to more regenerative farming practices, for example—while also maximising the share of circular biomass that enters the economy. Regeneration can happen both at the systems level (by designing regenerative processes) as well as at the product level (by switching synthetic to organic fertilisers, for example).

Regenerate

Archetypes

CE Materials

Industries

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Materials

A framework of policy instruments that enabled and encourage the transition to the circular economy

Policy Instruments

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A framework of policy instruments that enable and stimulate the transition to the circular economy

Nace Sectors

The principles of a circular economy concern designing out waste, regenerating ecosystems and keeping items in use. Decoupling the economy from material flows—improving the rate of resource productivity faster than the economic growth rate—is also a consistent guide. By evolving with the growing number of applications of circular economy principles, and consolidating these strategies across thematic areas, Circle Economy’s Key Elements Framework (KE) renders the elements of the circular economy salient and serves as a basis to derive contextual strategies and interventions. 


The Framework consists of:
- Core Elements: Activities directly handling product or material flows; and uniquely,
- Enabling Elements: those that remove obstacles for core actors.


Key elements of the circular economy

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Circle Economy's framework of strategies and activities that define the circular economy

Topics

Urban Opportunities

Whilst no two countries are the same, there are still obvious similarities between some of them, with discernible development patterns and parallels in evidence. Common problems and shared solutions help place unique country identities and individual issues in context.

Whilst this classification is far from clear-cut and exhibits some overlap, it does underline how the discourse on transitioning to a circular economy needs to account for both differences and commonalities, if we are to arrive at a more strategic and instructive analysis. It also allows to highlight a set of key themes that are likely to be central to the countries that fall under the respective profiles. 

Country profiles (Build, Grow, Shift)

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A framework to distinguish between different country profiles and their circular transition needs.

Browse case studies by type of implementing stakeholder.

Implementing stakeholders

It is 2050.  Full systems change has taken place. This wouldn’t have been possible without the immediate action and radical steps taken from 2020 onwards. Many targets had to be identified in the early 2020s and achieved by 2030 to ensure that the 2050 goal happened in full. A sense of urgency, turbo stakeholder collaboration, supportive government regulation and clear, data driven targets enabled the mindsets and systems change needed to transform to a fully circular textiles ecosystem.

A circular economics model underpins what we have created. It reflects and supports a living organism made up of makers, users and restorers, interacting across vibrant and interconnected networks. Checks and balances, alongside transparency and accountability, ensure a healthy system. Financial, environmental, and social metrics have the purpose of serving communities and the planet. There is shared ownership of profit and loss – across all three metrics – throughout the value chain.

This is what we’ve achieved over the last 30 years:

WCTD Themes

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The Circular City Actions Framework provides urban changemakers with five complementary strategies they can use to start working towards a more circular system. 

The framework is action-based to provide users with concrete strategic directions and showcase the desired outcomes of each strategy. 
The framework consists of five complementary **strategies**, under which **sub-strategies** provide further detail. Finally, each sub-strategy consists of a diversity of tangible **solutions** which are framed in relation to key thematic areas. 

Note: solutions are currently focused on:
- 🍏 **Food systems**
- 🏢  **Built environment**
- 👕📱  **Consumer goods**
- ⚡ **Energy Systems**
- 🚌 **Mobility Systems**
- 💧 **Water Systems**

More thematic areas are coming soon...

'Click through each of the five strategy cards below to explore the framework and circular economy case studies in more depth!'



This framework was developed in collaboration with ICLEI, Metabolic and Ellen MacArthur Foundation with support from the MAVA Foundation. Read more about it [here]( https://circulars.iclei.org/action-framework/). 



Circular City Actions Framework

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An action-based framework for local governments working towards circular cities

Thematic Areas

City Stakeholders

Test Framework

Challenges

Based on the ongoing ISO standardisation process, a taxonomy has been defined under which to cluster indicators to measure circularity. 

ISO Taxonomy

If managed well, the transition to the circular economy will have multiple benefits for the labour market, including the opening up of job opportunities, raising job standards and reducing inequalities through a global redistribution of value. But a positive transition to circularity for work and workers must be underpinned by three pillars: upskilling the workforce, quality of work and inclusive job opportunities. Find out more and explore cases that illustrate these pillars below.

Circular Jobs Initiative Pillars

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A positive transition to circularity for work and workers must be underpinned by three core pillars.

This is a survey that dives into understanding the policy environment around specific circular solutions. 

The survey is divided into five sections, based on the five key elements of the Circular Cities Action Framework. 
Each section asks 2-3 questions to explore which policies may or may not be present within your city to support a transition towards a circular economy. 

You are not alone! Each question provides some practical examples from cities around the world that have adopted a certain policy to support their transition. This can help to compare with your city - is your city doing something similar?

The survey answers should be based on your current knowledge, and not illicit additional research - ! Please make use of the Not sure option as appropriate.


Ganbatte Cities Policy Tracker [Food]

Ganbatte Cities - Policy tracker policy instruments

Policy Tracker - TEST

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Based on the work of [Bocken et al. (2016)](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/309699661_Product_design_and_business_model_strategies_for_a_circular_economy), the Four Flows Framework serves as a simple framework for managing resource flows in a circular economy by using less (Narrow), using for longer (Slow), using again (Cycle), and using clean, regenerative materials and energy (Regenerate).

These different principles of circular economy can be applied to our socioeconomic metabolism: we can design stocks like buildings, infrastructure, machinery, and vehicles to be rich resource mines for the future, and design manufactured goods and consumables to be cycled and made regenerative. Furthermore, the focus must also centre on getting more value out of fewer materials. Achieving the aims of a circular economy—minimising material use, regenerating the Earth, and preventing material losses—can be done through these four key strategies mentioned above.

Source: Circle Economy. (2023). *[The circularity gap report 2023](https://www.circularity-gap.world/2023)* (p.22). Amsterdam: Circle Economy. 

Four Flows Framework

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  Systems: KSBA Gravel Barrel Auto Syphon production system KSBA24 Family System KSBA72 Lodge & Training System KSBA96 Light Community KSBA150 Community System KSBA1000 Quarter Commercial KSBA4000 Commercial System  
Affordable business plan: Kleinskuur Aquaponics systems now available
  
 Here you can get a real feel for what aquaponics is all about. We will show you how we imitate a natural ecosystem through the use of fish and plants in a harmonious connection with the flow of nutrient-rich water. For only R50 pp, this is a lovely excursion that will bring you closer to nature and teach you what you didn’t know about the wonderful world of aquaponics. To book an appointment either email or phone us. By Appointment Only We love welcoming visitors to Kleinskuur Aquaponics, but this is a kind request to limit all visits to obtain information on Aquaponics and the Kleinskuur systems to Mondays and to first make an appointment by sending an email to sales@ksba.co.za. Farm sales of veggies will continue as always, any day before 17:00. Short tours can also arranged for Fridays at a nominal fee of R50 per person. Just contact us on the same email address. Sales@ksba.co.za.  Thank you for understanding that we also have other obligations. Kleinskuur Aquaponics There are a growing number of economically  successful systems in the world, but commercial aquaponics is in its infancy in Africa.After attending courses by internationally renowned experts, Murray Hallam and Dr Jim Rakocy, and studying the principles of aquaponics extensively, Colin Bremner of Kleinskuur Aquaponics near Pretoria, has designed a unique cost effective, economically viable system, following the motto of “keep it simple”. Having proven the design and production with a Research and Development model near Pretoria and in a number of working community systems in SA and Namibia, Kleinskuur Aquaponics is ready to assist you to enter the world of sustainable agriculture. Why the Kleinskuur system? It is a proven, affordable, working system.Kleinskuur has a grow area ratio of 84% effective use of the tunnel. Only 16% is walkways. It is the highest in the industry. Growing more with less wasted space.The ergonomic and efficient design of the Kleinskuur system makes for more efficient labour use than any other system of comparable size.Incorporating the tunnel structure with the DWC grow-beds is a first in the industry – cutting costs further.Designing the Kleinskuur Aquaponic system to work with and not against nature makes many of the costly add-ons unnecessary – saving on expensive additional equipment needed to make a system work, such as grow lights or ladders for harvesting.It can be established anywhere in Africa and most parts of the world.View the Kleinskuur story 



 What is aquaponics? In aquaponics the best of both worlds meet. There is an aquaculture system with fish such as Tilapia. The waste produced by the fish in the water is converted through a bacteriological system into the nutrients plants need. The plants act as filter for the water going back to the fish. The water gets circulated through the system the whole time. The plants are cultivated in two different ways: There is a deep water culture system (DWC) where plants such as lettuce, Swiss chard, spinach, kale and most types of herbs (e.g. sage, rocket, basil, parsley) are grown.In the gravel bed system vegetables such as tomato, cucumber, peppers, chillies, brinjal, baby marrow, patty pans and herbs such as mint and rosemary can be grown.It is a natural ecosystem in which no pesticides, chemicals or growth hormones can be used, because it will either harm the fish or the plants.It is the healthiest nutrient rich food that can be produced in a controlled Eco environment.It uses 90% less water than any other agricultural system. healthy | natural | nutrient rich 

 Meet our commercial system as envisioned in this fly-through. 

 We are at the Hazel Food Market every Saturday.  378 Queen’s Cres, Lynnwood, Pretoria, 0081, Gauteng, South Africa Kleinskuur Boerdery Co-wrote these books to help people succeed in Aquaponics.  Aquaponics addresses some of the major stumbling blocks which are present in other agricultural growing methods. The challenge aquaponic farmers face is an economic one: How do we make this work? How do we make this financially sustainable? An international survey reviewed by Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health Institutional Review Board on the profitability of commercial aquaponic farmers has results which make for interesting reading. They found only 31% of the 275 respondents were profitable in the previous 12 months. The 31% is however not indicative of the success rate of aquaponic businesses as it excludes countless failed businesses. The good news is some have made it, and they left clues as to how they made it. The principles in this book incorporate those clues to increase your chances of success. In this book, you’ll discover:– Some humour– Business principles to build a thriving aquaponic business– Practical lessons learned from aquaponic farmers– Hacks to common aquaponic problems– A new perspective on your value proposition– And much more!Get ready to position your business for success

South Africa

Africa

Mauritius

Zimbabwe

Namibia

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Footprints Africa supports SMEs to adopt future-friendly practices, address the challenges of growth and create jobs, using supply chains as a tool for development. 

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Kleinskuur Boerdery Aquaponics

<p>Kleinskuur Boerdery Aquaponics sells various aquaponics systems that utilise nutrient-rich aquaculture water on hydroponic-grown plants. The system can reduce the negative impact of industrial agriculture on farmlands and save more water than regular irrigation systems. Kleinskuur's latest design is a family aquaponics system for small-scale gardening.</p>