Project Vuselela aims to create an ecosystem where waste is valued and used, waste collection and recycling are optimised, and women lead and innovate in sustainable waste practices. This programme is critical in addressing both environmental and social problems and reducing the effect of waste on the environment while creating economic opportunities that make sustainability inclusive and achievable. Project Vuselela is about hope, about redefining waste as a resource and empowering communities, especially women, as agents of change. By encouraging a shift from a linear to a circular economy in South Africa’s communities, Project Vuselela transforms waste from a problem to a solution that drives growth, social equity and sustainability. GreenWay Africa, a social enterprise that provides professional advisory services and technology solutions, plays a key role in Project Vuselela by designing and implementing efficient waste collection and recycling systems to maximise resource recovery and improve operational processes. Its Tsela app enables real-time monitoring of collection and recycling activities, providing data that ensures transparency and accountability, as well as community involvement. The team, together with its partner, also leads workshops and awareness campaigns to change attitudes about waste work, elevating it from a low-value task to a respected role that promotes environmental health and community pride.
Educational Qualifications
PhD candidate in urban and regional sciences, Stellenbosch University
Greatest achievements
- Fostering collaboration among communities.
- Creation of a business that is sustainable and doing away with exploitative middlemen.
- The participation of more than 80% of women in the initiative and increasing youth participation.
What advice would you give to future generations?
Whatever interventions you think will be beneficial for the environment, and all life on it, implement them. Growth doesn’t necessarily mean that one must be harmful. Start imagining the world that you would want to live in. No one can do it alone; seek collaborations so that you can go far and spread your influence wide.