Eswatini joins regional circular electronics economy project

Eswatini has joined a Southern African Development Community (SADC) regional initiative to transition toward a circular electronics economy. The project, implemented under the Global Electronics Management (GEM) umbrella by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), includes neighboring nations Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, and South Africa.

Part of a global $60 million program involving the African Development Bank, the Global Environment Facility, UNIDO, and UNDP, the initiative aims to move away from linear consumption models. The program prioritizes the repair, refurbishing, component recovery, and safe recycling of electronic waste.

By strengthening regulatory frameworks and Extended Producer Responsibility mechanisms, Eswatini seeks to protect public health from toxic chemicals while recovering valuable materials such as copper, gold, silver, and rare earth elements. The regional approach is intended to provide shared processing infrastructure and harmonized trade mechanisms to reduce operational costs.