Small-scale recycling enterprises in Khayelitsha are emerging as key drivers of local economic development, following a targeted business intervention by The Glass Recycling Company (TGRC).
As unemployment continues to affect the region, the informal recycling sector has become an important source of income. Collectors regularly recover glass, PET, and aluminium to sell to local buyback centres. However, many of these small-scale operations have historically lacked the formal business structures needed for long-term growth.
To address this, TGRC recently hosted a Buyback Centre Bootcamp at the Isivivana Centre. The workshop brought together 65 participants, including buyback centre operators, recycling co-operatives, and independent collectors from Khayelitsha and Philippi.
“Collectors and buyback centres are at the heart of South Africa’s glass recycling ecosystem,” said TGRC CEO Shabeer Jhetam. He explained that the workshop aimed to close ongoing gaps in the informal recycling economy by promoting professionalisation.
The training, facilitated by Lusanele Mahlutshana, focused on key operational skills such as business registration, regulatory compliance, financial management, and systems for tracking collection volumes.
Mahlutshana highlighted the importance of a “triple bottom line” approach, encouraging businesses to balance economic sustainability with social and environmental impact. “By equipping collectors with business skills and linking them to partners, we are creating pathways for formalisation and growth,” she said.
The sector’s impact can be seen in entrepreneurs like John McKerry, founder of Vukusebeze Multipi Recycling. After being retrenched in 2019, McKerry started his business in 2022, which now employs more than 30 people across the Western Cape.
McKerry said access to information had previously been a major challenge. “Fetola provided guidance on infrastructure and support we weren’t aware of,” he said, adding that the training has already shaped his plans to expand into Philippi.
Similarly, Khanyo Stulo of the Makhaza Co-op noted increased participation within her organisation following the training. “Since the workshop, new waste pickers have joined us,” she said.
By prioritising skills development and formal business integration, the programme aims to strengthen the informal waste sector into a more sustainable and regulated part of the provincial economy—delivering both environmental and economic benefits.
