Indigenous waste management practices in rural South Africa

Masila Joshua Masipa and Madimabe Geoff Mapaya
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Masila Joshua Masipa: University of Venda
Madimabe Geoff Mapaya: University of Venda

International Journal of Research in Business and Social Science (2147-4478), 2025, vol. 14, issue 8, 306-313

Abstract: In developing countries, the challenge of managing solid waste is significant, but local knowledge can offer useful solutions, even if underutilised. This paper provides an overview of Solid Waste Management Strategies in the village of Thalahane in the Limpopo Province of South Africa to highlight these alternative practices. The aim was to examine Solid Waste Management Strategies in the community and the significance of culture, environment, and efficiency using data collected and thematic analysis from qualitative research approaches. We used a combination of non-structured and semi-structured interviews with 65 randomly selected participants to explore the overarching challenges of solid waste management in this rural community. The primary findings indicate that separation, disposal, composting, incineration, recycling, reuse, reduction, and prevention are the most common domestic Solid Waste Management Strategies in Thalahane. Each of the applicable strategies was viewed as culturally important and transferred from generation to generation and had value as a potential solution to the community's growing concerns regarding public health, animal welfare, and environmental sustainability. The findings suggest considerable potential for integrating indigenous practices into municipal Solid Waste Management Strategies. Overall, they offer an avenue for more sustainable, environmentally, and culturally acceptable solutions to solid waste management in rural contexts. Key Words: indigenous knowledge; solid waste management; sustainable environment; rural municipalities; cultural significance; Thalahane village

Date: 2025
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