Let’s make the Future better together. Let’s work together to inspire a generation to rethink, redesign and build a positive future. Our ambition is to promote the emergence, development and deployment of new solutions to reduce environmental impact, and to create green jobs opportunities.
With pollution, poverty and social exclusion posing major threats to the health and well-being of millions of people in South Africa, we address the interdependence between economic growth, social protection and natural ecosystems.
Our current culture of consumption is unsustainable. Adopting the zero waste approach protects the environment, benefits communities and supports a strong local economy. Reducing, Reusing and Recycling creates 10 times more jobs than disposal.
Our goal is to cultivate a community of change makers, individual people inspiring small but meaningful actions towards sustainable living. Taking responsibility for waste, environmental impact and social impact. Working together to support and encourage economic participation for all people, supporting micro-business, and skills development in the green economy.
We believe that the circular economy provides a coherent framework to develop sustainable cities and an opportunity to harness innovation and creativity to enable a positive, restorative economy.
The circular economy redefines “waste” as a resource for something new. Creating meaningful work and unlocking new value in people and resources. Recirculating value through the economy instead of being used once and then disposed.
The Baobab Project is a socio-economic development initiative aiming to empower people to respond to contemporary challenges affecting their livelihoods and their environment by learning about sustainability, and the principals of the circular economy.
Our role is to promote sustainable living through awareness & educational programs including the economic participation of underprivileged communities, empowerment and practical outreach activations.
In recent years much focus has been placed by the South African Government on recycling efforts as a way of reducing the damaging impact of waste on the environment. Taking this lead, Veolia and the MakerSpace Foundation NPC have co-created The Baobab Project to promote the emergence, development and deployment of new solutions to reduce waste in the environment on the one hand, and to create green jobs.
Veolia is driven by “Resourcing the World”; developing durable solutions to supply the greatest possible number of people with the resources needed to ensure the wellbeing of the community. Veolia uses waste to produce new resources and contribute to a circular economy 
The MakerSpace has a mission to stimulate creativity and innovative thinking focused on solving real world problems, to unlock potential and inspire individual responsibility to change the world for the better. The MakerSpace enables anyone to Make anything, anywhere, with a mantra to “leave the world better than you found it”
PROGRAMS
Innovative Waste Design
Turning waste into value in our PLASTICPRENEUR STUDIO.
Our Recycling Technician course teaches the skills required to recycle plastic and empower entrepreneurs and the workforce of the green economy.
We invite you to gain practical experience as an intern or onboard our accelerator/incubator to turn your ideas into action and foster the development of small green & social businesses.
The PLASTICPRENEUR STUDIO is a set of small scale reliable machines inspired by the preciousplastic.com that can be used by individuals, organisations and businesses to process and create products from plastic waste. We facilitate the learning of equipment, development of products and small scale production. We are looking for partners to replicate the PLASTICPRENEUR STUDIO in more locations.
Watch the process Turning waste into value in our PLASTICPRENEUR STUDIO!
Join our Recycling Technician course where we teach the skills required to recycle plastic and empower the rise of circular entrepreneurs that can create or reach for job opportunities in the green economy.
MY LIL' PUMPKIN
Integrating the circular concepts in schools, the MY LIL’ PUMPKIN sustainability program teaches children in grade four, five and six about sustainability principles through practical and real-life demonstrations.
Sponsored programs run in schools in low income areas, resources are available for any academic institution.
Hands-on workshops, animations and DIY activities allow students to gain a deeper understanding of environmental education while learning problem solving skills, think out-of-the box and circular entrepreneurship.
The curriculum is designed to empower students to identify and addressing sustainability challenges within their own schools and community, encouraging them to think differently about how they use water and energy, and how they can cleverly reduce waste.
Hands-on learning and active engagement have proven more effective than rote memorisation. Students are eager to learn about real life issues and the prospect of making a change through their own attitude and action.
Zero Waste Living
Our awareness & educational program invites the general public and the business community to offer public presentations, talks, workshops and social events to promote a collaborative participation to the 5R’s of Zero Waste.
The Zero waste approach promotes social equity and builds community. Through this initiative we also aim to support marginalized communities and protect community health. Zero waste needs businesses to play a key role.
Businesses, communities, industrial sectors, schools and homes come together at The Baobab to learn from one another’s good practice of circular living. Together we are building a place where members can leverage the expertise and resources around the green economy, bringing together citizens, young and old, NGO’s, startups, SMME’s, local government, and large companies, all stakeholders interested in working towards a more sustainable future.
We call eco-conscious neighbors, organisations and businesses, sustainable development savvy, environmentalists, circular artists, sustainability specialists, social & circular entrepreneurs, green makers and innovators, urban farmers, environmental engineers and educators, all spirited people to come teach each other through workshops, talks, presentations & demo’s!