Nearly 90,000 waste collectors in South Africa collect up to 90% of all recycled paper and packaging in the country. Regenize works with these informal waste collectors to offer recycling services for South African households. The Capetown-based startup integrates informal waste collectors into the formal economy, providing them with uniforms, waste collection tricycles, smartphones and access to local recycling hubs.
The company has raised an undisclosed amount of financing from South African early-stage impact investor E Squared Investments, via the firm’s first venture philanthropy transaction. Venture philanthropy includes recoverable grants, equity and blended finance as well as operational support.
“We view our capital as catalytic—enabling social enterprises to thrive and creating an ecosystem where innovation and impact can flourish through venture philanthropy,” said E Square’s Thato Ntseare.
Incentivizing waste management
Regenize’s Remali mobile app allows customers to earn virtual currency for waste collection, which can be redeemed for airtime, data and grocery vouchers at local informal kiosks, or ‘spaza’ shops. Regenize received a grant in 2022 from the non-profit GSMA, to set up decentralized, community-based recycling hubs.
The fresh funding is meant to help expand this hub network, provide free recycling to 26,000 low-income households, create more jobs and divert over 30,000 tons of waste from landfills.
