The University of Johannesburg (UJ) and the Gauteng Department of e-Government in South Africa have collaborated to establish the Gauteng e-Waste Management System, which is to be launched on 18th February 2022. It is aimed at tackling the province’s e-waste problem and addressing the challenges of poorly coordinated e-waste management in the province.
The system is being implemented as a way to help improve the collection, recycling and safe disposal of defunct electronic devices in Gauteng and instil a culture of recycling electronics. About 360 000 ton of e-waste is generated each year across South Africa, with Gauteng responsible for about 55% of that.
Gauteng e-Government MEC, Nkomo-Ralehoko will be leading the e-Government project on behalf of the provincial government. The project would assist in stimulating the economy through small, medium-sized and microenterprise (SMME) support and job creation.
UJ Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Internationalisation Professor Saurabh Sinha said the collaboration between the Gauteng Department of e-Government and UJ represented a “coming together of minds” to implement a strategy that would create an enabling environment for unlocking the potential of e-waste in South Africa by allowing for an equitable profit distribution across the value chain and allowing for participation in public-private partnerships by SMMEs and the informal sector.
As the economic hub of South Africa, Gauteng continues to accumulate significant quantities of e-waste owing to widespread use of electronic technologies such as home appliances, mobile phones and computers by residents.
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