Africa Waste Management Market Size

Africa Waste Management Market Analysis

The Africa Waste Management Market size is estimated at USD 21.72 billion in 2024, and is expected to reach USD 27.70 billion by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 4.98% during the forecast period (2024-2029).

The market is driven by government initiatives and projects. Furthermore, the market is driven by the companies emerging in the sector to increase recycling needs.

• Africa's urban population is growing at a faster rate than any other continent (3.5% per year). Although waste generation in Africa is currently lower than in the developed world, SubSaharan Africa is expected to overtake the developed world as the dominant region in terms of total waste generation if current generation trends continue. Population growth, rapid urbanisation, a growing middle class, changing consumption habits and production patterns, and global waste trade and trafficking all contribute to waste generation in Africa, as it does in other developing regions around the world. Inadequate waste management in Africa is causing economic, social, and environmental problems. However, there are some encouraging signs.
• Most of the Municipal Solid Waste collection services in many African countries are inadequate. With an average of 57% of MSW in Africa being biodegradable organic waste, the bulk of the waste is dumped. About 90% of the waste generated in Africa is disposed of to land, typically in uncontrolled and controlled dumpsites. Only about 4% of the waste generated in Africa is recycled, often by informal actors (as with reuse). Africa has lately become a dumping site for waste, particularly hazardous waste, often from developed countries. More than 130 people have died in landfill collapses in Africa in the past year, 2/3 of whom were women. To address these concerns, many social and technological innovations have emerged in the waste sector in Africa.
• In comparison to the continent's minuscule recycling rate, South Africa stands out as a shining beacon. South Africa consumed approximately 3.4 million tonnes of packaging (glass, paper, metal, and plastic) in 2021, with approximately 54% collected for recycling, compared to the continental average of 4%. Apart from South Africa's success, the situation remains bleak: most African countries' collection services are woefully inadequate. The average MSW collection rate is low (mostly organic waste), and the majority of it is dumped, even though the fact that it could provide significant socioeconomic opportunities. Recycling is emerging as a viable business across Africa, driven more by poverty, unemployment, and socioeconomic need than by public or private sector design. An army of unpaid waste collectors makes a living by recovering valuable resources at little to no cost to municipalities or private companies.