According to the company, waste management not only enables us to conserve natural resources and contribute positively to the preservation of our earth, but it also positively impacts the economy.

This is as we see more and more jobs being created within this sector in order to ensure efficient waste management systems, adds the company.

Currently, Matongoni is one of the largest black-owned recyclers of post-consumer plastic waste in South Africa. It has partnerships with numerous well-known brands, both local and international.

Presently, Matongoni's existing operations focus on the collection and recycling of material from:
  • shopping centres
  • industrial and agricultural activities, and
  • landfills.

These collected materials are then recycled and integrated into its key product lines, which include:
  • recycled plastic toys
  • baby care products
  • household plastic ware
  • toilet paper, and
  • polymers.

Matongoni says that it aims to offer a wide range of products made up of recycled materials. It also offers electronic waste management solutions for corporates looking to manage and reduce their general waste.

In 2018, Matongoni was introduced to Inyosi Empowerment, an enterprise and supplier development and loan-funding provider. Matongoni says that it was looking at ways to expand not only its business but its footprint and increase the impact it has as a waste management company in South Africa.

Inyosi Empowerment assisted Matongoni by co-funding its black-industrialist expansion and by providing it with adequate loan funding for the purchase of some much-needed assets into the business, including:
  • machinery
  • equipment, and
  • the purchase of a warehouse facility.

In early December 2019, Matongoni founded The Seshego Buy-Back Centre in Polokwane, Limpopo. The centre serves as a recycling plant, where local community members are encouraged to drop off waste items that can then be recycled.

It also aims to educate the community on matters surrounding the importance of recycling and the positive effect it can have on the environment. Matongoni's activities are primarily in areas of environmental concern, as it is committed to the protection of the environment and dedicated to the conservation and re-use of natural resources.

Since partnering with Inyosi Empowerment, Matongoni says that it has expanded its business and its impact across South Africa.

Inyosi Empowerment says that it is eager to assist Matongoni with its future business ventures, as Matongoni has not only been playing a crucial role in assisting in the alleviation of climate change and pollution but it has provided inexperienced and unemployed youths with job opportunities at the various Matongoni plants. This is through Inyosi's implementation of the YES programme within its business.

"Inyosi assisted us by co-funding our Black Industrialist expansion programme by providing financial assistance by financing assets in the business. Inyosi has also helped us to empower young people through the YES programme and we were able to create jobs for over 150 Youth in a period of three years," concludes Aubrey and Winnie.

In commemoration of a decade's worth of loan funding and pushing the envelope for black-owned SMMEs within South Africa, Inyosi Empowerment has launched an exclusive business loan funding competition.

Through the initiative, one black-owned business could win an interest-free loan of up to R5-million. This competition is aimed at celebrating the positive impact loan funding can have on the growth of SMMEs and how this in turn spurs job creation and economic growth in South Africa. 

For more information, visit www.inyosi.co.za. You can also follow Inyosi Empowerment on Facebook, Twitter or on Instagram.