Africa is full of creativity, and some of the smartest innovators on the continent are turning waste into treasure.
Upcycling takes everyday discarded materials like old clothes, plastic sachets, and factory scraps and transforms them into fresh, useful products.
These companies are not only reducing waste, they are creating items people genuinely want while supporting communities and the planet.
Here are the Top 5 Upcycled Product Companies in Africa:
— Trashy Bags Africa (Ghana): Turns plastic sachets collected across Accra into tote bags, backpacks, wallets, and more. Over thirty three million pieces of plastic have already been upcycled.
— The Revival (Ghana): Works with unsold and damaged clothing from Kantamanto Market, transforming them into garments, home goods, and accessories.
— Africa Collect Textiles (ACT) (Kenya): Collects used textiles and footwear and upcycles them into wool blankets, denim rugs and bags, and mats made from recovered shoe soles.
— Xita (Botswana): Crafts bold, sculptural jewelry and accessories using second hand T shirts, leather offcuts, and discarded materials.
— Artisan Fashion (Kenya): Upcycles factory off cuts and post consumer textile waste into bags, accessories, and design pieces, giving new life to materials that would otherwise go to landfill.
These five companies show how upcycling in Africa blends creativity, impact, and opportunity. They prove that what many people throw away can become something stylish, useful, and valuable, all while supporting the environment and creating jobs.
Selections were based on active upcycling of real waste streams, verified operations, and measurable impact, using company websites, media coverage, and NGO or industry reports.
Image Credit: Yanko Design
