Zweli and Metsi Magwaza

About 

Love Our City Klean (LOCK), founded by a married couple Zweli Magwaza and Metsi Magwaza, is an innovative waste management firm dedicated to diverting waste away from landfills through effective recycling and repurposing efforts. LOCK engages in environmental education and awareness initiatives across the eastern region of Johannesburg. These projects aim to eliminate illegal dumping hotspots and transform them into vibrant spaces adorned with murals promoting cleanliness, safety, and environmental sustainability. LOCK has a community swap shop, where residents can swap their recyclables for points, which can then be used for household items. Currently, the recyclables are sold to buy-back centres; the goal is to be able to transform them into products. Read more about Love Our City Klean on their website: welock.co.za/

Issues and Ideas

Metsi finds her work challenging and eye-opening. Metsi and Zweli identify unemployment, poverty, resource scarcity, educational barriers, and housing shortages as key challenges facing Makers Valley. Zweli points out that the increasing population is leading to significant waste generation, but that waste collection services are not accessible to everyone. Consequently, illegal dumping is prevalent throughout various corners of the area, posing challenges in maintaining cleanliness. What ideas can you come up with to repurpose the recyclable items that Love Our City Klean collects in Makers Valley?

Find out more from CZweli and Metsi Magwaza in their video interview, available here.