A Malawian entrepreneur is preparing to launch the production of sneakers made from recycled plastic bottles, recycled rubber and organic cotton in a venture aimed at reducing waste while creating jobs and expanding sustainable manufacturing in Africa.
Sothini Shaba, founder of the footwear brand Tefillah told the state-run Malawi News Agency that the company is working towards establishing material-processing and manufacturing facilities in Malawi after developing and testing prototypes through partnerships in Indonesia.
Shaba said the initiative is designed to address growing waste challenges while creating opportunities for local manufacturing and employment.
“We believe fashion must help heal the planet and that African-founded brands can lead the shift from linear to circular models,” he said.
Founded in 2023, Tefillah seeks to use discarded materials to produce footwear under a circular economy model that keeps resources in use for longer through recycling, repair and remanufacturing.
Under the planned production process, recycled plastic bottles will be used to make sneaker components, recycled rubber will be used for outsoles and organic cotton will be incorporated into the shoes’ construction.
The company also plans to introduce a blockchain-based Digital Product Passport that will allow customers and stakeholders to track the origin of materials, carbon emissions, labour conditions and end-of-life options for the footwear, including repair, resale and recycling.
The move comes amid growing interest in circular economy business models across Africa as governments and businesses seek ways to reduce environmental impacts while creating new economic opportunities.
However, Shaba said significant hurdles remain, including limited availability of sustainable footwear materials on the continent, the need for reliable waste collection and processing systems, and the challenge of scaling ethical manufacturing in a highly competitive global market.
He said localising production in Malawi would help address some of those constraints while enabling more Malawians to participate in manufacturing, innovation and green industries.
The company has set an ambitious five-year target of producing more than 200,000 pairs of circular sneakers annually while establishing material-processing and footwear manufacturing facilities in Malawi and at least two other African countries.
JN/APA