NCPC-SA Hosts Inaugural Workshop for the South African Circular Manufacturing Initiative
The National Cleaner Production Centre (NCPC) has commenced its role as the host of the South African Circular Manufacturing Initiative (SACMI) with a successful virtual workshop held on 18 March 2025. The event brought together over 130 participants from industry, research institutions, academia and government to explore how science, technology, and innovation (STI) can enhance the transition to a circular economy in the local manufacturing sector.
A Platform for Collaboration
The workshop served as an open forum for key stakeholders to discuss potential circular solutions within the STI priority areas identified in the Circular Economy STI Strategy. These focus areas include resource efficiency and cleaner production, circular product design, advanced manufacturing, and remanufacturing.
SACMI is an initiative of the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI) that aims to modernise manufacturing by embedding circular economy principles into industrial processes. It is one of three such initiatives being rolled out to give action to the STI White Paper (2019) and the STI Decadal Plan (2022-2032), reinforcing the government’s commitment to fostering a low-carbon, resource-efficient manufacturing landscape.
It is being managed under the oversight of Circular Innovation South Africa at the CSIR, led by Professor Linda Godfrey. Prof Godfrey, an internationally acclaimed researcher and expert on both waste and the circular economy, by emphasising the strategic importance of STI in advancing circular economy principles within South Africa’s priority economic sectors, leading to the establishment of the initiatives in mining and minerals, agriculture, and manufacturing.
The South African Circular Manufacturing Initiative will be led in the NCPC by Lee-Hendor Ruiters, Principle Project Manager and manager for strategic initiatives at the NCPC.
Ruiters explained that this is the first of many engagements to inform a Circularity in Manufacturing STI strategy. “The first step right now is to identify the priority sectors within manufacturing that will most benefit from and can most readily adopt circularity through science, technology and innovation.”
Industry Perspectives Sought
To facilitate the identification of these sectors, the NCPC workshop included presentations from industry associations. In addition, a survey questionnaire has been set up to solicit input and interest from industry to inform the strategy. Ruiters explained that the NCPC will leave the survey open for a while longer, and manufacturers are encouraged to give their input using this link.
Engaging Discussions and Sectoral Insights
The workshop featured four interactive breakaway sessions focused on identifying sector-specific needs and opportunities in metals, clothing & textiles, automotive, and general manufacturing. Participants engaged in discussions aimed at shaping a roadmap for integrating STI-driven circular practices into these sectors.
The SACMI initiative represents a critical opportunity for industry, researchers, and policymakers to collaborate in building a resilient, low-carbon manufacturing future. The insights gained from the workshop will inform future engagements and strategic interventions to accelerate circularity in South Africa’s industrial sector.
For those who missed the event and are interested in participating in future initiatives, please share your details with the NCPC-SA by completing a form at this link. The recording of the workshop is also available here.