A new group of African entrepreneurs is showing how waste can become a source of jobs, income, innovation and sustainable growth. Through the CircularLeap Scale-Up Programme, 12 growth-stage businesses have been selected to strengthen their operations and scale solutions that are helping to reshape Africa’s circular economy.
The programme, implemented by GrowthAfrica and funded by the Embassy of Finland in Nairobi through the Fund for Local Cooperation, is supporting businesses that are transforming plastic, textiles, glass, paper, e-waste and agricultural waste into valuable products and services.
Beyond environmental benefits, the initiative is expected to create stronger value chains, improve resource efficiency, reduce waste going to landfills and open up new economic opportunities for communities across Africa. Entrepreneurs in the programme will receive mentorship, investor readiness support, ecosystem connections and access to Finnish market linkages as they grow their businesses.
Building Businesses Around Sustainability
The selected entrepreneurs are working across different sectors including manufacturing, clean energy, hygiene, fashion and waste management. Their businesses are proving that sustainability can also be commercially viable.
Keren Makari, founder of Smart Sensory Ltd, is producing affordable therapy kits and sensory pods for children with neurodevelopmental disorders. The company uses 70% post-industrial textile waste in its manufacturing process, helping reduce costs significantly compared to imported alternatives while also supporting early intervention services for families.
Robert Mrima, founder of Ricky Bags Africa, is giving discarded PVC corporate banners and industrial textile waste a second life by transforming them into premium bags and lifestyle products. The business also works with coastal youth and women artisans, creating employment opportunities through sustainable manufacturing.
Linda Chepkorir, founder of Tuwe Bora Limited, is building a circular fashion business by sourcing reclaimed and surplus textile offcuts to create durable limited-edition fashion collections. Her company is helping reduce textile waste while promoting sustainable fashion production.
Judith Githinji, founder of El Vaso Glassware Ltd, collects discarded glass bottles from restaurants, bars and households and transforms them into handcrafted drinking glasses, bowls, vases and branded products for hospitality and retail markets. Her business is helping reduce landfill waste while creating locally made products.
Terry Aketch, founder of Rafiki PEPS Limited, runs a waste management company focused on improving waste segregation and recycling systems. The company works with schools, households, businesses and institutions to ensure recyclable materials, especially plastics, are recovered and returned into the value chain.
Wacera Kabinyu, founder of Rock E-Waste Solutions Ltd, is tackling the growing challenge of electronic waste by providing sustainable collection, refurbishment and recycling services for electronics. The company also promotes the extended use of devices while supporting inclusive participation in the circular economy.
Expanding Africa’s Circular Economy
Several businesses in the cohort are also creating innovative solutions from agricultural and industrial waste streams.
Brian Ndung’u, founder of EcoBana Limited, converts discarded banana pseudo-stems into biodegradable and hypoallergenic sanitary pads. His company is helping reduce agricultural waste while producing affordable hygiene products for consumers.
Sebastian Kiarie, founder of Limu Plastic Recyclers Ltd, processes post-consumer, agricultural and industrial plastic waste into high-grade plastic granules that manufacturers can use as a substitute for near-virgin plastic materials. The model helps manufacturers lower production costs while reducing plastic pollution.
Robert Njuguna, founder of Maqor Brands Africa Ltd, is transforming wastepaper into affordable tissue and hygiene products including toilet tissue and facial tissue. The business is helping create more sustainable hygiene supply chains.
Daniela Nairita, founder of YARSI Aquacycle Ltd, is upcycling fish waste from Lake Turkana into high-value fish oil and fish leather products. By using materials that would otherwise be discarded, the company is creating additional value for local fishing communities.
Abraham Nyaga, founder of Eden Recyclers, converts paper waste into black shoe polish through a circular business model that also promotes sustainability awareness among students while lowering the cost of school consumables.
Francis Romano, founder of Knights Energy Ltd, is addressing clean energy challenges through the refurbishment and repurposing of end-of-life EV lithium-ion batteries. The company deploys the batteries into energy storage, solar charging, and clean cooking infrastructure while also training EV technicians.
The CircularLeap Scale-Up Programme arrives at a time when African businesses are increasingly exploring sustainable production models and alternative uses for waste materials. By supporting entrepreneurs that are building practical circular economy solutions, the initiative is expected to contribute to more resilient industries, job creation and long-term environmental sustainability across the continent.
The inaugural cohort represents a growing movement of African entrepreneurs proving that sustainability and profitability can work together, while creating businesses designed for long-term impact.
