In many African cities, broken appliances are repaired and resold, old clothes are altered, and crop waste becomes feed, fuel, or compost. According to circular economy researchers, these habits, often driven by limited incomes and unreliable waste collection, already form the basis of a circular economy. However, their review found uneven progress across the continent. While countries such as Rwanda, Ethiopia, Ghana and Nigeria have introduced policies supporting circular economy initiatives, Somalia, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo remain more reliant on a take-make-discard model. The researchers argue that governments should recognize and support existing informal circular economies rather than replace them with imported high-tech systems. The researchers say countries should improve waste collection, sorting, and safe disposal, while providing training, safer conditions, fair pay, and social protection for informal workers.