Recently, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Coega Development Corporation (Coega), a leading public entity responsible for managing the Coega Special Economic Zone in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen their collaboration aimed at advancing research, technology development, innovation, and knowledge sharing.

This public partnership marks a major milestone in South Africa’s push toward an innovation-led economy. It will enhance industrial competitiveness, catalyse job creation, and position South Africa as a leader in sustainable technology development. It signals a shared commitment to harnessing each party’s expertise to support South Africa’s reindustrialisation and technological advancement.

The launch of Skubu marks a significant step in integrating circular economy principles into retail, demonstrating how innovation and sustainable business practices can benefit communities. Beyond environmental benefits, the demonstrator also tackles food security by allowing lower-income citizens to access quality products in smaller quantities at more affordable prices.

Speaking at the launch, Professor Linda Godfrey, CSIR principal researcher who leads Circular Innovation South Africa, a DSTI initiative hosted by the CSIR, said, “Skubu is a great demonstration initiative to show how circular economy principles can be implemented through collaboration. The intention is to focus on the national system of innovation, which looks at how a country creates and applies new ideas to improve technology and grow its economy. This includes bringing universities and science councils closer to the private sector to help de-risk and scale circular interventions,” she explained.