YOUR TRASH, OUR CASH!
YOU South Africa|4 August 2022
A university dropout has transformed an illegal dumping ground into a viable recycling business for his community
LESEGO MKHIZE
YOUR TRASH, OUR CASH!

HE HAD his heart set on university and was thrilled when he was accepted to study public management at the University of Johannesburg.

But in his second year, in 2012, he was forced to drop out because of a lack of funds. Smanga Mthembu could've joined the ranks of millions of unemployed young South Africans, many of whom have given up looking for work.

Instead he looked around to see what he could do, not only for himself but for others and the environment - and today the 30-year-old entrepreneur is a business-owner who employs a team of six and is making a difference to the lives of many. Smanga is the owner of Umphakathi Recyclers in White City, Soweto, operating a burgeoning recycling operation in the once-rubbish-strewn grounds of an abandoned school.

A hand-painted message on a white wall at the premises says it all: "It's only trash when you throw it away".

Smanga has transformed the illegal dumping ground into a hive of activity a place where no one is turned away and everyone leaves with something in their pocket, no matter how small.

"This is where magic happens," he says. And he's not wrong. Umphakathi Recyclers was recently crowned the country's recycling champion by the Polyethylene Terephthalate Recycling Company, a non-profit that promotes recycling across SA and helps ensure recyclers have a place to sell what they collect at a fair price.

But recycling isn't the only way Smanga is changing lives: his business also runs a burial scheme covering more than 700 households in White City.

He realised he could help the community cover the costs of loved ones' funerals after a woman came to him with a load of paper, desperate for money to bury her son.

Denne historien er fra 4 August 2022-utgaven av YOU South Africa.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra 4 August 2022-utgaven av YOU South Africa.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA YOU SOUTH AFRICASe alt
PUSHED TO THE LIMIT
YOU South Africa

PUSHED TO THE LIMIT

The unusual relationship between an heiress and her husband has taken a sinister twist

time-read
5 mins  |
5 September 2024
HOW TO MAKE A SUPERBABY
YOU South Africa

HOW TO MAKE A SUPERBABY

Noor Siddiqui says her company can test embryos for hundreds of conditions from diabetes to Alzheimer's. Critics call it social engineering but she insists she's just giving prospective parents the means to avoid a lot of future heartache

time-read
10+ mins  |
5 September 2024
THE GROWN-UP BRAIN
YOU South Africa

THE GROWN-UP BRAIN

If you think your brain deteriorates as you age, think again!

time-read
3 mins  |
5 September 2024
THE eyes HAVE IT
YOU South Africa

THE eyes HAVE IT

They're the windows to our soul - and the first place to show the stresses of everyday life. Juliette Winter reveals expert tips to de-puff, brighten and smooth this delicate area

time-read
1 min  |
5 September 2024
WE'RE IN THIS TOGETHER
YOU South Africa

WE'RE IN THIS TOGETHER

It hasn't been an easy road but now this bodybuilding couple are making waves in the industry

time-read
4 mins  |
5 September 2024
I CAN'T WAIT FOR SUMMER!
YOU South Africa

I CAN'T WAIT FOR SUMMER!

Annetjie's about to get effective treatment for the skin condition that has blighted her life and she's looking forward to hitting the shops and facing the world

time-read
5 mins  |
5 September 2024
'SHE NO THREAT TO ANYONE'
YOU South Africa

'SHE NO THREAT TO ANYONE'

When SA boxer Chris van Heerden's Russian girlfriend went to visit her parents she was thrown in jail and accused of treasonnow he's in a fight to free her

time-read
5 mins  |
5 September 2024
SUNK IN 16 MINUTES!
YOU South Africa

SUNK IN 16 MINUTES!

A sun-drenched holiday turned into a living nightmare for those aboard this luxury vessel

time-read
5 mins  |
5 September 2024
READY TO SMILE AGAIN
YOU South Africa

READY TO SMILE AGAIN

A groundbreaking surgical procedure will restore this Limpopo teen's badly damaged jaw and teeth

time-read
5 mins  |
5 September 2024
HARRY AT A CROSSROADS
YOU South Africa

HARRY AT A CROSSROADS

As the prince turns 40, royal experts paint a picture of a troubled soul- isolated, homesick and struggling to find a purpose in life

time-read
8 mins  |
5 September 2024