As South Africa’s extended producer responsibility (EPR) framework matures, refurbishers are emerging as a critical yet underdeveloped link in the country’s e-waste value chain. According to Keith Anderson, CEO of eWASA, the shift from a recycling-led mindset to one that prioritises reuse is both necessary and overdue.

Refurbishment is the process of improving, repairing, cleaning, and re-equipping an existing building, room, or piece of equipment to restore it to a “like-new” condition or to enhance its functionality. It is on a technical level bound to “reuse” and this article will refer to both refurbishment and repair interchangeably.

“Reuse is always preferable to recycling,” Anderson states, framing refurbishment as a higher-order intervention in the waste hierarchy. “Refurbishers shift the narrative from recycling to reuse.”

He does note that recycling is still vital, but a laser focus on downstream interventions like recycling can close off other paths towards circularity and emphasises that extending product life through refurbishment directly supports waste diversion and reduces the need for raw material extraction.

A tiered system with blurred definitions

South Africa’s recycling ecosystem operates across multiple levels of capability, yet policy has not fully kept pace.

“There are five tiers of recyclers, but regulations talk about them in general terms,” Anderson explains, pointing to a lack of clarity in how different actors are defined and measured.

At the top end, Tier 1 recyclers are equipped to handle the full lifecycle of electronic products. “A Tier 1 recycler has all the infrastructure and necessary tools that can take a product, dismantle it safely, check pieces for life, and if it can be refurbished, then it goes there. Recycling is a last resort,” he says. This includes safety processes such as lithium battery fire checks and component testing.

Lower-tier recyclers, however, often lack the infrastructure and training needed to move up the value chain. “There is a place for Tier 5 recyclers, but they need investment and training to move them up the value chain,” Anderson adds, noting that EPR schemes and producer responsibility organisations (PROs) have a role to play in this transition.

Consumer behaviour and the perception gap

Despite growing awareness, consumer behaviour continues to favour new purchases over refurbished products. Anderson attributes this to a mix of socio-economic factors and perception.

“The affluent sector always wants the best and the latest,” he says, while middle-income consumers often prioritise brand value and support networks. At the lower end of the income scale, functionality and affordability drive purchasing decisions.

A key barrier is perception. “Many consumers still associate refurbished with second-hand or unreliable,” Anderson explains. However, this is beginning to change.

“As more refurbished equipment becomes available with a warranty and in good use, then it becomes normalised.”

Market dynamics also play a role. “In the electronic space, bundles play a role in purchasing,” he notes, referring to telecom contracts and device incentives that encourage frequent upgrades. Planned obsolescence further compounds the issue.

Informality, risk, and opportunity

A significant portion of South Africa’s refurbishment activity takes place informally, particularly in township economies. While this reflects entrepreneurial initiative, it also introduces risks.

“The township spaces have long been repairing and refurbishing, but it is very ad hoc, often under-trained,” Anderson says. “You have individuals with limited knowledge and that’s the challenge.”

However, he sees this as an opportunity rather than a liability. With targeted support, informal refurbishers can be integrated into the formal economy. “EPR now can train them, upskill, and invest in this to become proper and reliable repairing creating circularity, jobs, and products in a lower-income area.”

Crucially, formalisation hinges on traceability. “One of the key things is to ensure that there’s always an auditable trail left of what you’re doing,” he explains. “That helps us as PROs and it shows exactly what has been repurposed, refurbished, or recycled.”

Gaps in the current system

While refurbishers are increasingly recognised, they remain insufficiently integrated into the EPR framework. Anderson argues that this is partly due to how outcomes are defined and reported.

“Refurbishment should be treated as a formal EPR outcome, not only as an informal activity before recycling,” he says. This would require clearer definitions for repair, reuse, and recycling, as well as standardised reporting metrics that capture reuse-based performance.

The lack of formal recognition limits investment and scalability. “Repairing is an industry but it needs to be auditable to grow it,” he adds. “Small investments can have massive results here.”

Within this evolving landscape, eWASA has prioritised refurbishment as a strategic focus. “We’ve identified it as a gap, and we’ve invested in this gap,” Anderson says, noting that the organisation works closely with refurbishers across the value chain.

Auditing plays a central role. “We regard auditing not as a big stick, but as a milestone to check where the gaps are,” he explains. This approach enables continuous improvement while building trust with producers, who are often cautious about brand risk and intellectual property.

One persistent challenge is the export of high-value components such as laptop motherboards. “The motherboard is the most financially rewarding part but the investment to valorise it is large,” Anderson says. As a result, many recyclers export these components rather than process them locally.

To address this, he advocates for co-investment models. “You might need R20 million, but PROs can co-fund and make that facility available.” This would retain value within South Africa and strengthen local circularity. Anderson points out that PROs have a responsibility to invest in waste management infrastructure in South Africa, and that softening large upfront capital is one way of “moving the needle.”

Collaboration as a prerequisite for progress

A recurring theme in Anderson’s assessment is the need for greater collaboration across the value chain. “If we all continue to work in isolation, then we are wasting opportunities,” he says.

South Africa currently has 22 PROs in the e-waste space alone, a level of fragmentation he describes as unsustainable. In response, initiatives such as the PRO Alliance South Africa (PASA) aim to coordinate efforts and align strategies.

“Collaboration works when there are no hidden agendas,” Anderson notes. Shared infrastructure models, such as hub-and-spoke collection systems, can reduce duplication and improve efficiency. Standardised auditing frameworks can further enhance transparency and compliance.

The right to repair gains traction

The global right-to-repair movement is also beginning to influence South Africa’s e-waste landscape. “Right to repair is finally gaining traction after years of rejection from producers,” Anderson says.

However, tensions remain. Producers are often reluctant to disclose detailed product information due to intellectual property concerns. “They’ve invested billions and are wary of disclosing the full internal workings,” he explains.

Even so, consumer awareness is shifting. “People are starting to ask: can I repair this? Is it easy to get parts?” Anderson notes, suggesting that repairability may become a competitive differentiator in the future.

He once again evokes the spirit of collaboration, where consumer spend can shape producer behaviour and PROs can then step in to facilitate this, especially since it is already happening.

Anderson points to how repairing electronics is already prevalent in the informal economy, and by formalising this process it creates meaningful jobs. One example is South Africa’s Taking Care of Business which teaches people to repair certain electronic products with permission from the producer, this has led to income in informal sectors and has expanded access to electronics in lower-income areas.

While this practice is historically associated with the informal sector, the last few years have seen an uptick in refurbishment within the middle-income space. Apple’s certified pre-owned, alone with similar businesses sell refurbished electronics with the confidence of “virgin product” often coming with warranties. This further illustrates growth within this space, and the stigma of “second hand goods” being eroded by economic and environmental pressures.

Building a circular future

For South Africa to fully realise the benefits of EPR, refurbishment must move from the margins to the mainstream. This will require investment, policy clarity, and a co-ordinated effort across producers, PROs, and recyclers.

“Have we moved the needle? Have we built the sector?” Anderson asks. “Repairing is an industry and it can help, but it needs to be auditable to grow it.”

The potential impact is significant. By formalising and scaling refurbishment, South Africa could not only reduce e-waste but also create jobs, support township economies, and retain valuable materials within its borders.

“Small investments can have massive results,” Anderson concludes.