Africa Faces Growing Urban Waste Crisis Amidst Infrastructure Gaps

WHO:

ABC News - Devon Steenkamp, municipal councilor in Johannesburg.

ABC News - Linda Makole, local resident in Johannesburg's Alexandra township.

ABC News - Carmen Jordaan, co-runner of Whole Earth Recycling.

ABC News - Bryce McCall, former South African equestrian show jumper.

ABC News - Dr. Suzan Oelofse, principal scientist at South Africa’s Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).

ABC News - Nomvula Phaliso, recycler and law student.

WHAT:

ABC News - Johannesburg is experiencing a waste crisis characterized by unreliable waste collection, shrinking landfill space, and increased illegal dumping.

ABC News - Pikitup, the city’s waste company, has identified over 2,000 illegal dumping hot spots.

ABC News - Pikitup allocated 115 million rand ($6.4 million) in 2025/26 to address the waste problem.

ABC News - The World Bank projects that waste generation in sub-Saharan Africa will increase by 124% by 2050.

WHERE:

ABC News - Johannesburg, specifically the industrial suburb of Kya Sands and the densely populated Alexandra township.

ABC News - Sub-Saharan Africa.

WHEN:

ABC News - The municipal landfill in Johannesburg closed in 2010.

ABC News - The urban population in Africa is projected to double by 2050 to 1.4 billion people.

WHY:

ABC News - The waste generation rate has consistently outpaced investment in new waste management infrastructure.

ABC News - Unreliable waste collection is attributed to labor disputes, financial constraints, and an aging fleet.

HOW:

ABC News - Residents are resorting to informal waste haulers due to the municipality's failure to collect waste.

ABC News - Pikitup is promoting waste separation at the source to preserve landfill space and plans to expand recycling infrastructure.

(UPDATED September 18, 2026 04:59 UTC)

Johannesburg is facing a significant waste crisis marked by unreliable waste collection, diminishing landfill space, and a rise in illegal dumping, with Pikitup, the city's waste management company, identifying over 2,000 illegal dumping hotspots. To tackle this issue, Pikitup has allocated 115 million rand, or about 6.4 million dollars, for the 2025/26 fiscal year, while the World Bank warns that waste generation in sub-Saharan Africa is expected to surge by 124% by 2050. As residents turn to informal waste haulers due to the municipality's collection failures, Pikitup is promoting waste separation at the source and aims to enhance recycling infrastructure to alleviate the growing problem.