Our story

How it all started...

As a founding team we all have a deeply engrained love for nature and a burning desire to build towards a more sustainable future. When we were introduced to the concept of Circular Economy, so many things became clear and we knew exactly how we could have a lasting positive impact on the future. The best way to describe what we are all about is to explain how we came up with our name, KhulaHoop. Let’s break it down…

There are two very symbolic parts to the name, with the first being Khula. In Xhosa and Zulu this refers to growth or something that is actively growing. The second part is Hoop. In English, this refers to something being circular or making a turn. However, in Afrikaans it means to believe or hope.

Now when you read the name again with this framework, our vision for KhulaHoop will be more clear. We want to grow hope for a better future, inspire change and accelerate the transition to circular economy and a more environmentally responsible way of living.

What we are working towards

Our current linear economy is based on a “take-make-waste” model, where most of what we produce is eventually turned into waste and disposed of. This is simply not sustainable in any stretch of the imagination. Whether society transitions to a circular economy by choice or by necessity, the question isn’t IF, but WHEN. The following video by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation explains it best:

Why we've set out on this journey

We are parents, scientists, engineers and problem solvers. We are proudly South African and passionate about our planet.

We know that it’s possible to make a difference, no matter how small or how big. As engineers we are excited by the principles of circular economics. As parents we want to have a positive impact on our overburdened planet, not for us, but for the next generation we are raising.

Our game plan

We believe in conserving our natural resources for generations to come. We acknowledge that the challenge we are faced with is bigger than any single person, organisation and government and therefore pledge our support for knowledge sharing, networking, collaboration and cooperation with all parties actively contributing to the common purpose of accelerating the adoption and implementation of a circular economy, both within South Africa and on a global scale.

Rome was not built in a day is also true in this case. It would have been fantastic if we could flick the switch tonight and wake up tomorrow morning to a fully functioning global circular economy. But we don’t have that switch. Instead we have a wristwatch with multiple gears working together towards a common goal. There are millions of enthusiasts around the world who all have a part in the drive to put the global circular economy into motion. We cannot achieve the ultimate goal by ourselves and need everyone who is interested to take the step from idea generation to active participation.

Our game plan is to implement several ideas across many different sectors and raise these infants to become industry leaders. Providing employment opportunities, food security, education and economic development throughout South Africa.