South Africa - Startup under 3 years old

Describe your project or startup in a few words

Born out of the vision to help the most impoverished people, Umphakathi Recyclers is a Buy-Back center that was registered back in 2015 but only opened is doors officially in the year of 2021 when the Covid19 restrictions is S.A started to be lifted.

01.01 Describe your startup in more detail

Umpahakathi Recyclers is about "Community", the word 'Umphakathi' is translated from the South African Nguni Language of Zulu which means community and we only came about to solve a social need that our community in White City Jabavu was facing, joblessness. We mainly exist to buy recyclable material from our communities which means that anyone can bring in what many consider to be waste and get paid for it and by doing so not only do we maintain a clean environment in our area of operation but we also guarantee that even the most impoverished of personnel can get means to securing a meal.

01.02 What is the main problem you are trying to solve?

The problem that we are trying to solve in our communities is one that even I Smanga Mthembu the founding member found myself in, which is putting food on the table whilst unemployed or looking for employment. The feeling of hopelessness will always visit people who are disadvantaged or poor, but giving them a means to support themselves has proven to be the solution in our community and that is the main problem that Umphakathi Recyclers is trying to solve, POVERTY. Since our inception we have been able to produce recliners that not only recycle to put food on the table but go as far as sending children to school, the benefits of recycling are endless but Umphakathi Recyclers exists to tackle the social aspects facing our communities and our Social Innovation called the 'UMPHAKATHI RECYCLERS BURIAL SCHEME' winner of the "SAB Social Innovation and Disability Award" in 2021 the "PETCO COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AWARD" in 2022 is proof that enterprises can address social ills in community.

01.03 Tell us the major benefits and/or advantages of using the product/service that your startup provides (at least 3).

Our social innovation called the Umphakathi Recyclers Burial Scheme involves us the entity providing equipment to assist with the burial of a loved one during their time of bereavement, the equipment includes Tents, Chairs or sitting, Gas Stoves, Mobile Toilets, Mobile Fridges, Artificial Turfs as a start up and this equipment ensures that even the poorest of the poor can get a dignified funeral, very important in the African culture. To qualify for the above mentioned service a household must recycle the recyclable waste that they produce with us 'Umphakathi Recyclers' on a weekly basis, this means we get to divert waste before it reaches our ever pilling up landfills and save the environment in terms of recycled material being used to produce goods instead of raw materials, pivotal as global warming is on the rise at alarming levels.

01.04 Please describe who exactly your startup’s product/service is aimed at serving. Who are the targeted beneficiaries?

Our services which are the Buy Back Centre where people get paid to bring in their recyclable's and our Social Innovation which is aimed at assisting poor families with equipment to give their family members a dignified funeral are aimed at poor people. Umphakathi Recyclers exists to ensure that people are not given fish but are taught how to fish, we do this by giving them a means/source of income through recycling and assistance in the event that they cannot bury a loved one.

01.05 When was your company established?

2021-06-01

01.06 Are you already selling your product/service?

No

01.07 How many other owners are there within your startup?

2

01.08 Among the other owners, how many are female?

0

01.09 Please describe the profile of the other owners within your startup (skills, experience, etc.)

Mr Lindani Mathetha- Chief Operations Manager

01.10 If you have a website, a social media page (Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin…), or app, please provide the link(s) here:

https://www.google.com/search?q=umphakathi+recyclers+pty+ltd+website&sca_esv=cbb07cb897603c0c&sca_upv=1&sxsrf=ADLYWIKqsnipE_rTtAAfbZDIW4VN14X0rw%3A1718816735398&ei=3w9zZraCGJ6XhbIPn6O1kAQ&oq=umphakathi+recyclers+pty+ltd+we&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiH3VtcG

01.11 Which industry best describes your project?

b) Materials (agriculture, fishing, chemical products, construction materials, containers and packaging, metals and mining, paper and forest products)

02.01.01 My startup contributes to the No poverty goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.01.02 No poverty - Justification for my startup

Hunger is a result of hopelessness and joblessness. Umphakathi Recyclers through recycling has not only given rise to employment opportunities but also self employment opportunities for anyone who takes recycling serious enough, on record we can proudly say that some of our clients make as much as 2000 ZAR on a bad week justifying our effort at making sure that everyone can get the opportunity to uplift themselves.

02.02.01 My startup contributes to the Zero hunger goal

6

02.02.02 Zero hunger - Justification for my startup

Before being innovative and allowing the masses to enjoy the benefits of our burial scheme, we are a buyback center which means that we pay monetary value for recyclable material. Paying for recyclables might seem like a small drop in a big ocean of poverty and inequality, unless you are on the receiving end. Everyday when Umphakathi Recyclers makes a payment to a recliner or collector it is the gratitude that we receive that keeps us going it is in knowing that through our work someone was able to go to bed with something in their stomach.

02.03.01 My startup contributes to the Good health and well-being goal

2

02.03.02 Good health and well-being - Justification for my startup

For many of our clients getting a payment means that they have to sort through waste so they can get recyclable material that has value and during this process many of them get exposed to waste and their health and wellbeing gets compromised. As an entity we are still battling with this problem and the best solution to date is protective wear. Funding from the Startupper of the Year Challenge will go a long way in ensuring that we get the proper equipment for our people as recycling is their source of income.

02.04.01 My startup contributes to the Quality education goal

2

02.04.02 Quality education - Justification for my startup

02.05.01 My startup contributes to the Gender equality goal

2

02.05.02 Gender equality - Justification for my startup

02.06.01 My startup contributes to the Clean water and sanitation goal

2

02.06.02 Clean water and sanitation - Justification for my startup

02.07.01 My startup contributes to the Affordable and clean energy goal

5

02.07.02 Affordable and clean energy - Justification for my startup

In South Africa recycling two empty glass bottles of a 650ml beverage saves energy that can light up a bulb for two-three hours, a small feet but if we can get as many households as we can involved in recycling not only will we be able to conserve our natural recourse's like trees(paper) Oil(Plastics) Glass(High heating process) to name a few but we will be able to save our environment since saving directly on production costs means that less coal gets used up for energy production purposes.

02.08.01 My startup contributes to the Decent work and economic growth

5

02.08.02 Decent work and economic growth - Justification for my startup

Umphakathi Recyclers through its daily operations employs a total of six full time workers and directly benefits over 100 daily walk in customers who depend on us for thei livelyhood. This is our effort at ensuring work and economic growth on our part.

02.09.01 My startup contributes to the Industry innovation and infrastructure

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.09.02 Industry innovation and infrastructure - Justification for my startup

02.10.01 My startup contributes to the Reduced inequalities goal

2

02.10.02 Reduced inequalities - Justification for my startup

02.11.01 My startup contributes to the Sustainable cities and communities goal

5

02.11.02 Sustainable cities and communities - Justification for my startup

Since setting up our buy back center at what was a former dumping site the area around our operation has become cleaner, safer and healthier since people were used to breathing in fumes produced by these dumping sites. We plan to move to other areas identifying and transforming such spaces to sustainable sites that continue the hard work put in by Umphakathi Recyclers.

02.12.01 My startup contributes to the Responsible consumption and production goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.12.02 Responsible consumption and production - Justification for my startup

In terms of responsible consumption and production Umphakathi Recyclers through its innovative 'Umphakathi Recyclers Burial Scheme' is a shining beacon in our communities. To date we service almost 3000 households in White City Jabavu, Soweto alone. Each household collects a minimum of 5kg's of recyclable waste each weak, this means that we are responsible for diverting over 60 tons of recyclable waste that would have otherwise made it into landfills every month, One of the main reasons we plan to expand is so that some day our impact can produce clean environments across our countries.

02.13.01 My startup contributes to the Climate action goal

6

02.13.02 Climate action - Justification for my startup

Using recyclable material as an alternative to raw materials ensures that less deforestation occurs, less intensive mining and even less fossil fuels being burn into the atmosphere. Umphakathi Recyclers with its innovative approach aims to ensure that each and every person takes recycling as a norm and a daily lifestyle, very crucial if we are to lower the impact of the human footprint on our planet. We already know that people know about recycling and its major benefits but the majority is just not interested, through our prototypes in our area of operations we can safely say that providing an incentive, weather monetary or socially gets people recycling in their numbers and directly has a positive impact both on the environment and people.

02.14.01 My startup contributes to the Life below water goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.14.02 Life below water - Justification for my startup

02.15.01 My startup contributes to the Life on land goal

4

02.15.02 Life on land - Justification for my startup

02.16.01 My startup contributes to the Peace Justice and Strong Institutions goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.16.02 Peace Justice and Strong Institutions- Justification for my startup

02.17.01 My startup contributes to the Partnerships for the goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.17.02 Partnerships for the goal - Justification for my startup

06.01 There are a large number of customers who already use a product/service very similar to the product/service we envision creating.

1 - Strongly Disagree

06.02 The product/service represents an entirely new type of product/service.

7 - Strongly Agree

06.03 The product/service could be described as a new technology.

7 - Strongly Agree

06.04 The product/service is an improvement on an existing product or service.

7 - Strongly Agree

06.05 The product/service could be described as an extension of a range of products or services.

4

06.06 The product/service responds to a demand or need that has not been satisfied by other products/services.

7 - Strongly Agree

06.07 The product/service is a new version of an old product/service.

1 - Strongly Disagree

06.08 Justification for my startup

06.09 Competitive Analysis

My main competitor is government entity called PikitUp. They are already recycling in some areas but our social innovation has given us an edge as it is a niche and people really love the idea of being covered with equipment that helps with the dignified burial of a loved one by just recycling your waste with Umphakathi Recyclers.

11.05 Are you initiating actions within your community to promote the role of female entrepreneurs?