by Prof Leon Hugo, former head of the Department of Geography at Pretoria University. First published in Environatics.co.za It’s a sobering reality that thousands, primarily children, succumb annually to dire environmental conditions and hunger in Africa. There looms a genuine threat of our planet’s production systems collapsing, potentially leaving us all without sufficient food. Since […]
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Food waste in South Africa is dumped in landfills – study weighs up healthier and more sustainable options
by Anne Fitchett, Retired Honorary Associate Professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of the Witwatersrand – this article was first published on 10 December 2025 in theconversation.com Every year, millions of tonnes of food end up in South Africa’s landfills. This is a wasted resource that deepens environmental damage, worsens food […]
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Amazing pineapple leaf powder that fights crime and pollution: new research
by Bienvenu Gael Fouda Mbanga, Research fellow, Nelson Mandela University – this article was first published in theconversation.com In South Africa, manufacturers of pineapple juice and other pineapple products discard thousands of tons of pineapple leaves every year, with most ending up in dumpsites. The leaves are seen as agricultural waste and usually treated as […]
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Waste, Pollution and Recycling: A Reader
by GST Staff Cactus waste could become a low-cost building material Construction sites don’t usually bring cactus plants to mind. Still, engineers think leftover material from prickly pear cactus farming could offer a cleaner, lower-cost way to make building materials. At first, the idea may sound unusual. But it points to a real problem in […]
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Sustainability steps: Municipal waste disposal changes in the pipeline
by Anne Kruger, GST Correspondent With the growing importance of environmental sustainability in mind, GST recently looked into the current status of the waste disposal process in the Drakenstein Municipality. Despite the fact that Drakenstein Municipality has a successful recycling process for inorganic waste implemented throughout the municipal area, this is not considered enough to […]
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The secret life of baobabs: how bats and moths keep Africa’s giant trees alive
by Sarah Venter – Baobab Ecologist, University of the Witwatersrand, published in The Conversation 6 November 2025 Baobabs are sometimes called “upside-down trees”, because their branches look like roots reaching skywards. Of the eight species of baobab in the world, six are confined to Madagascar, one to northern Australia and one species, Adansonia digitata, is […]
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South African heritage tourism could uplift rural communities – the case of Sekhukhune
by Madiseng Phori, Tourism Lecturer, Tshwane University of Technology This article was first published in The Conversation Imagine visiting a remote valley surrounded by mountains, hundreds of kilometres away from the nearest city, listening to local people explaining hundreds of years of history to you. The Tšate Valley, in South Africa’s Limpopo province, is one […]
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75% of Kilimanjaro’s natural plants have been wiped out – and climate change isn’t the biggest threat
by Andreas Hemp, Research Associate Plant Systematics, Bayreuth University This article was published in The Conversation MOUNT KILIMANJARO in Tanzania is sold to the world as frozen romance and pure nature. But the real story today is at its feet, not its peak. That’s because Kilimanjaro is a great real-world place for scientists to study […]
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Redefining Sustainability in Hospitality
By Mark van Eyssen, GST Assessor Authentic Sustainability, Proven by Science In a world where sustainability is no longer optional but essential, Go Sustainable Tourism (GST) provides accommodation providers with more than just a certification, it offers credibility, integrity and measurable value. Founded and developed under the leadership of Dr. Niël du Toit, GST is […]
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Sustainability and resilience: What do they mean, and how do they matter for policy?
By Amitrajeet A. Batabyal: Distinguished Professor, Arthur J. Gosnell Professor of Economics, & Interim Head, Department of Sustainability, Rochester Institute of Technology – this article was first published in theconversation.com “Sustainability” and “resilience” have become buzzwords in recent years, but many people don’t know what either term really means. As an economist who studies environmental […]
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