by MTHULISI SIBANDA
JOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) -THE South African tech startup, Sonke, has partnered Transform, a global impact accelerator, to promote South Africa’s circular economy.
It is an economic system aimed at minimising waste and maximising the use of resources by circulating products and materials through strategies like reuse, repair, and recycling.
In South Africa, the partnering organisations aim to reduce single-use plastic waste.
Sonke has partnered Transform, which is led by Unilever, the United Kingdom government’s Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office and EY (previously Ernst & Young), in a collaboration culminating in the first automated refill store, SKUBU, in Johannesburg.
Through this store located at the Chuma Mall in Diepsloot area, Sonke is testing the viability of the refill model and promoting consumer behavioural change.
Transform has facilitated the enterprise’s integration into Unilever’s value chain. Sonke’s refill store is dispensing products from Unilever brands.
Customers can refill their containers at bulk prices, eliminating single-use packaging and providing shoppers with cost savings of up to 60 percent, officials said.
The SKUBU store is equipped with Internet of Things-(IoT)-enabled technology, allowing live sales tracking, automated replenishment alerts and real-time stock monitoring.
Eben de Jongh, Sonke Founder and Managing Director, said for a refill model to scale, it must be accessible, affordable and responsive to the communities they serve, hence the collaboration with Transform was critical in the journey to reach this goal.
“By combining technology with onsite support from our ambassadors, we are able to respond to consumer needs in real time, building a refill model that is approachable and fits into everyday life,” de Jongh said.
Transform reports that the launch of Sonke’s SKUBU store is part of Transform’s wider effort to support enterprises tackling plastic waste and develop refill business models in Africa and Asia.
“To do this, we need continued cross-industry collaboration and investment in inclusive infrastructure to help these enterprises thrive,” said Angela Kow, Transform Plastics Lead at Unilever.
An International Union for Conservation of Nature study indicates that South Africa contributes around 35 percent of plastic pollution leaking into waterways and the marine environment in Southern and East Africa.
– CAJ News