Vodacom sells 51,000 refurbished phones as South Africa battles e-waste crisis

Vodacom has sold more than 51,000 refurbished smartphones through its Good As New programme, the South African telecoms giant has announced, as the country grapples with one of the continent’s worst e-waste problems.

The programme offers customers affordable, high-quality smartphones by repairing and reselling used devices, preventing usable phones from ending up in landfills. Instead of encouraging frequent device replacement, Vodacom’s approach extends the life of existing devices and lowers the need for raw materials used in manufacturing new ones.

The program addresses a major issue: South Africa produces about 530,000 tonnes of electronic waste (e-waste) annually, according to the United Nations Global E-Waste Monitor. This equals approximately eight kilograms per person, making South Africa the biggest e-waste generator in Sub-Saharan Africa, second only to Egypt across Africa.

A significant portion of this e-waste contributes to environmental and health problems due to pollution and damage to the soil.

“In addressing this issue, Vodacom is supporting a move away from linear consumption patterns, where products are made, used and then discarded,” a company spokesperson told My BroadBand. “This minimises resource consumption and waste by extending the life cycle of products.”

Vodacom is selling more than just phones

Good As New is part of Vodacom’s broader sustainability initiative called RedLovesGreen, which focuses on device reuse, recycling, and responsible management across its operations. Introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic, this initiative has since expanded significantly.

In November 2024, Vodacom teamed up with Circular Energy, an organization recognized by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, to help customers recycle their old devices responsibly. Now, customers can easily request home pickup for their pre-owned devices by filling out a form on Circular Energy’s website, eliminating the need to travel to a store just to recycle a phone.

In addition to consumer devices, Vodacom recycled over 1,273 tonnes of network equipment during its last financial year, illustrating how its circular economy approach goes beyond what customers typically observe.

The company’s trade-in program, called Good As New, lets customers exchange eligible Samsung, Apple, Huawei, and Vivo devices at participating stores for monthly discounts on upgrades or new plans. To qualify, devices must pass an in-store diagnostic test, not be blacklisted, and must power on independently.

Also read: GSMA to launch ₦55,000 4G smartphones in Nigeria and other African countries

Vodacom’s efforts in managing e-waste have caught the attention of the government. In November 2025, representatives from the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, and the CSIR toured Vodacom’s repair and refurbishment facility in Midrand to see how it operates.

This visit suggests that Vodacom’s private sector model could contribute to a wider national circular economy strategy that is in development.

South Africa’s e-waste efforts have a long way to go, but the recirculation of 51,000 refurbished phones marks a tangible step forward.