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Press release:
12 October 2025
SA Waste Pickers set to meet Brazilian President Lula da Silva
SAWPA – the South African Waste Pickers Association and groundWork have been invited to attend the 12th Expocatadores (Waste Pickers’ Expo) taking place in Brazil, Sao Paulo from 17th to 19th of December 2025. Invited by their Brazilian counterpart organisation, Unicatadores (the Waste Picker’s Union) and IWAP – the International Alliance of Waste Pickers of this SAWPA is a member, the South African delegation will participate in a learning exchange on the 15th and 20th of December 2025. The Expo brings together waste picker groups, allies, civil society, cooperatives, associations, private sector actors and governments from across Brazil.
Aptly, the theme of the Expo is “Just transition in the recycling value chain” and the motto “Waste pickers at the center of circularity”. Focussed on this goal, the learning exchange will involve site visits to waste picker organisations, open dialogues, workshops, demonstrations and later, a Waste Picker Christmas Lunch with the President of the Federal Republic of Brazil, His Excellency Mr Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Recognised for their vital role in the waste management sector, and through their labour, waste pickers contribute substantially to reducing waste destined for landfills, thus mitigating climate change and reducing methane emissions. Despite this, their livelihoods are vulnerable to challenges such as stigma, evictions and dangerous working conditions, as a fenceline community in the waste sector. Recently, waste pickers around the world have been acting in solidarity and networking with each other towards strengthening themselves towards opening decision-making spaces.
In South Africa and globally, waste pickers are actively diverting and recycling materials such as plastic, cardboard, paper and metals away from waste dumps and landfill sites. Because of this, waste pickers and civil society continuously advocate for policy reforms to support the implementation of formal integration and a shift towards zero waste systems that will create an enabling environment and ensure safe working conditions.
“The catadores of Brazil have led the movement and enjoyed integration into local waste management systems for some time now. We have a lot to learn from the Brazilian model.” said Lefa Mononga, National Chairperson at SAWPA.
For over 15 years the South African Waste Pickers Association (SAWPA) and groundWork have partnered towards mobilising, organising and working with waste pickers in SA and increasingly in Africa. SAWPA as a social movement has more than 15 000 registered waste picker members in all nine provinces of South Africa.
Strengthening the movement of waste pickers also means facilitating spaces of learning and knowledge and this is notably done through national and international exchanges. The purpose of a learning exchange is to foster networking, solidarity and learning. Thus, for many years SAWPA and groundWork have been holding international exchanges with other waste picker organisations from around the world.
The SAWPA and groundWork deligates attending the exchange are:
- Lefa Mononga– SAWPA National Chairperson
- Mantwa Mokoena– SAWPA National Treasurer and Gauteng National Coordinating Committee Member
- Msindo Makhanya SAWPA Gauteng Provincial Coordinating Committee Member
- Maditlhare Koena-SAWPA Western Cape National Coordinating Committee Member and IAWP Treasurer
- Asiphile Khanyile– groundWork Waste Campaigner
Spokespersons:
South African Waste Pickers Association: Lefa Mononga ( )
groundwork: Asiphile Khanyile ()
Media Enquiries:
Tsepang Molefe +27 74 405 1257
