Practising stewardship in Africa
Zebr alumna Josefine Koehler – or Josi among friends – moved to Zambia in July last year. Her passion is applying circular economy to the economic development in Africa, building the economy from a more holistic perspective. «It is all about managing our resources more responsibly while planning for the future», she explains.
Here is how Josi explains in more detail what she is doing: The Circular Economy concept can be applied to every sector and industry; agriculture or manufacturing, and sub-sectors like textiles and electronics. It is not only about limiting waste and pollution (down-stream approaches), but also about designing products in a way that minimises material use and impact in the production and use phases (upstream approaches). It is also about prioritising local resources and building local businesses/industries. This way local markets are benefiting instead of just exporting raw materials.
Without any local value-addition, the markets would be reliant on import of finished products only. In times of globalisation combined with international crises, export and imports should be limited to the most necessary products to allow for stronger local economic development and supply chain resilience. However, this shift is a long shot requiring collective action now within countries, combined with regional alignment.
“It is really about the transformation of our current economy which has been built on a very limited and short-term perspective from the very beginning. Transforming our economy holds many opportunities for economic growth and socio-economic development throughout societal layers as well as regeneration of natural resources. We just require some critical mass and bold steps towards changing business-as-usual” Josi says.
Josi´s Zambian employer Tandem Circular, offers technical advice both to the private sector directly and public sector clients, such as United Nations Industrial Development organization (UNIDO), the EU and the German Agency for International Cooperation. Her role in projects often involves project management. She conducts research and workshops, with the aim to establish actionable advice on business models and value chain development as well as policy-making. A recent passion project is the establishment of an impact co-working space within Lusaka. Other examples of her work are: market studies, feasibility studies that lead to market entry, capacity building and awareness raising through training material and curriculum development for Technical and Vocational Education and Training.
As an advisory organization, Tandem Circular finds itself in a very strategic geographical area. Through the Lobito Corridor critical minerals such as copper, cobalt and maganese are transported from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia to the Angolan port of Lobito. Globally these minerals are used to build electric vehicles, batteries, renewable energy infrastructure, data centers, and digital microchips.
«As the expansion of the Corridor is under development, we try to make sure that circular economy principles are being applied and integrated, adding more value to the local economy and population, so that the role of Zambia expands beyond just exporting its raw materials. Such export results in short-term GDP increase, but ultimately limits greater economic activities in the medium- and long-term», Josi says. «If the refinement of the critical minerals or simple manufacturing of components like copper wires are being done within Africa, it would also create higher-skilled jobs», she adds.
Josi holds an MA degree in Environmental studies with the focus on Sustainability & Cities from Aalborg University in Denmark. She also studied Circular Economics for Sustainability Professionals at Columbia University, New York. Prior to settling in Lusaka, Zambia Josi worked for Trinomics, a Brussels based organization also working on circular economic issues. Her work involved Africa, and having always had a passion for the continent, she felt that she could be more effective and useful on the ground than working on problems from Brussels. So “I followed my heart,” she says, and ended up in Zambia.
She does not regret her move. “I love the country and region,” she says, and points out that people there mix peacefully. Unlike neighbouring countries like South Africa and Namibia there is no tension between white and black. Zambia is considered a very diverse and peaceful nation. But there is a downside: the cost of living. This comes back to the dynamics mentioned earlier: almost everything is imported, which make prices explode. On average products are twice or triple as expensive as in South Africa or holding the same prices as in Europe.
Be that as it may, Josi feels she is in the right place and is settling in for the medium to long haul. She has found “an amazing charismatic house-church” in her neighborhood which gives her the spiritual food she needs at the moment. She is involved in the youth and young women ministry. Josi sees a connection between her Christian world view and her work at Tandem Circular. “It is all about stewardship, about us as Christians managing the resources the Lord has entrusted to us,” she says.
During Covid, she participated in the Zebr Leadership program online. «I enjoyed the connections with different people during a period of isolation, and I appreciated their spirit and entrepreneurial mindset. It was simple, but yet so powerful. Even online we created very strong bonds which I wouldn’t have thought was possible. The input really made a difference and has empowered us to find our change category», she says. Josi had found hers before she joined the Zebr program, but it helped a lot in confirming her vision and approach.
