Industrial symbiosis has the potential to drive sustainable growth within the industry in South Africa,
generating business benefits for the companies involved and economic benefits of value to the
government. Industrial symbiosis activities have grown substantially in South Africa over the last three
years. A key contributor has been the development of three regional facilitated industrial symbiosis
programmes (ISPs) in South Africa, GISP (based in Gauteng), KISP (based in KwaZulu-Natal) and WISP
(based in the Western Cape). Over the next three years, the existing programmes are expected to
grow and mature, significantly increasing their impact year-on-year. New programmes are also
expected to develop around the country in less industrially dense regions of South Africa.
Drawing on the experience of WISP, the most mature of the industrial symbiosis programmes in South
Africa, this paper outlines how facilitated industrial symbiosis supports sustainable industrial growth
in South Africa based on the economic, environmental and social business benefits generated through
resource exchanges or ‘synergies’.
Further to this, this paper explores the role of facilitated industrial symbiosis programmes driving
economic development and job creation. Four roles are examined: (i) unlocking value by creating
economic of scale and clustering resources; (ii) increasing the competitiveness of industry by driving
innovation; (iii) driving market led enterprise development and (iv) assist creating eco-industrial parks
in South Africa.