Gauteng’s political leaders and environmental experts have issued a stark warning about the province’s growing electronic waste crisis, while simultaneously framing it as a potential “gold mine” for innovation and job creation.
The call to action came at the two-day Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Conference in Johannesburg, which brought together stakeholders to address the environmental and economic challenges posed by discarded electronics.
Gauteng MEC for e-Government, Bonginkosi Dlamini, highlighted the scale of the problem, noting that South Africa generates a staggering 360,000 tons of e-waste annually. Gauteng alone is responsible for over half of that figure. Alarmingly, less than 10% of this waste is recycled.
“E-waste is a new phenomenon where it’s a danger to our environment because of the particles that are there in every gadget,” MEC Dlamini said. He linked the crisis directly to the rapid digitization of the economy and government services, stating that the very gadgets driving progress are “now becoming a threat to our environment.”
However, Dlamini urged a shift in perspective, arguing that e-waste should not only be seen as a threat but also as a significant economic opportunity.
“When you look at your phones and your iPads, they’ve got resources like your platinum, like your gold,” he stated, pointing to an existing informal market in Johannesburg where people extract and sell these valuable materials.
To formalize and scale this potential, the government plans to help train young people in townships and informal settlements to set up “back centres.” At these facilities, people would bring in old gadgets to be stripped sustainably, salvaging valuable components and safely discarding hazardous materials. “As a result of that, they are making money,” Dlamini said.
The vision for a formal e-waste economy includes skills training and the establishment of processing facilities throughout the province. However, a significant stumbling block remains the lack of infrastructure for collection, sorting, and recycling.
A key challenge is public awareness. Experts at the conference revealed that public knowledge about the hazards of e-waste remains “alarmingly low.” Many citizens are unaware of proper disposal methods and the dangers of toxic components like lead and mercury, which pose serious environmental and health risks when mishandled.
“The public are not aware that e-waste first of all is classified as hazardous waste,” one expert noted, citing examples of mercury-containing lights being improperly discarded. This lack of awareness also leads to a “drawer of doom” phenomenon, where people hoard old phones and TVs inside their homes instead of disposing of them correctly.
The government emphasized that the rapid pace of technological obsolescence means devices are being discarded faster than the country can manage. This highlights an urgent need for comprehensive programs that not only protect the environment but also provide young people with the technical skills and entrepreneurship opportunities to turn a mounting crisis into a golden opportunity.
