What packagingsa.co.za does

Packaging SA is a private, voluntary industry body structured as a non-profit company representing South African packaging converters and associate members spanning raw-material suppliers, material organisations, brand owners, retailers, Producer Responsibility Organisations, and related firms. It acts as the sector's spokes body, coordinating government engagement on the National Environmental Management: Waste Act and Extended Producer Responsibility while connecting members with material-specific PROs. Its activities include advocacy, regulatory guidance, sustainability and recycling initiatives, industry information, and member engagement through events and the Gold Pack and AfriStar awards.

Packaging SA does not develop a proprietary technology platform. Its domain assets include an information library, Design for Recycling guidelines, industry waste-management and EPR frameworks, and access to IPSA and PAMSA education programmes; IPSA's online curriculum includes introductory, diploma, and advanced packaging courses, while webinars provide material-specific technical instruction. The business model is recurring membership fees across two broad member categories, with direct recruitment supported by advocacy, events, training, and collaboration with PROs. Public membership pricing, company revenue, and headcount are not disclosed.

Name

packagingsa.co.za

Legal name

Packaging SA

Website

https://packagingsa.co.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Packaging SA is a member-funded South African industry body serving packaging converters and associates with advocacy, EPR compliance guidance, information resources, technical education, sustainability programmes, and industry awards across the packaging value chain.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Packaging Industry Association

NAICS

Packaging and Labeling Services (561910)

SIC

Papers & Allied Products (2600)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainability Testing, Certification & Compliance (LCA, Recyclability/Compostability Testing, FSC/PEFC) (IMALAMAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Corrugated Packaging & Boxes (RSC, die-cut, bulk bins) (IMAMAHAA), Recycled-Content Plastic Packaging (rPET, rHDPE, rPP) (IMALAMAC), Paper-Based Packaging & Single-Use Paper Products (Paper Bags, Wraps, Cartons) (CRADALAL)

Keywords

• Packaging industry association
• Extended producer responsibility
• Packaging education
• Recycling advocacy
• Packaging awards programme

Headquarters

HQ city

Bryanston

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Packaging SA operates as a voluntary industry body. Revenue is generated through membership fees from two broad categories: Converters (representing approximately 70% of industry revenue) and Associates (raw material suppliers, material organisations, brand owners, retailers, and other packaging-interested organisations).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Packaging SA is a voluntary industry body that represents the South African packaging industry across all material streams (glass, metals, paper, plastics). It recruits and serves members in two categories—Converters and Associates (raw material suppliers, brand owners, retailers)—and delivers industry advocacy, EPR regulatory support, accredited packaging education (IPSA and PAMSA), the Gold Pack Awards programme, an industry information library, and Design for Recycling guidelines.

Product overview

Packaging SA is the Packaging Council of South Africa, an industry association representing packaging converters and associated companies. The organization provides industry advocacy, education through IPSA and PAMSA training programmes, industry awards (Gold Pack Awards with AfriStar Awards), information resources including Design for Recycling guidelines, and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulatory support. The organization connects members with Producer Responsibility Organisations (PROs) for various packaging materials and promotes sustainable packaging practices across South Africa's packaging industry.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• IPSA Education Courses
• PAMSA Programmes
• Gold Pack Awards
• Packaging SA Info Library
• Design for Recycling Reference Book
• Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Regulations Support

Quantifiable outcome

• South Africa's plastics recycling reached 485,000 tons in 2025, up 3% year-on-year, with 22% circular content in new products.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and moderate.

• DetpakcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 March 2022Detpak is a food service and packaging producer that partnered with Fibre Circle and Remade Recycling (Mpact Group) on the 'Recycling in the Bag' campaign. The campaign showed 200 recycling collectors that paper grocery bags and brown take-away food bags can be collected from households and sold with their wastepaper collections.
• Remade Recycling (Mpact Group)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 March 2022Remade Recycling, part of the Mpact Group, partnered with Fibre Circle and Detpak on the 'Recycling in the Bag' campaign. The company hosts waste collector demonstrations at its Midrand branch, supporting recycling education and collection initiatives.
• Plastics Industry Global Action Team on Marine Debris (GAT)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 November 2015Packaging SA signed the Declaration of the Plastics Industry Global Action Team on Marine Debris (GAT), joining over 65 associations in 35 countries. The GAT aims to address marine litter through six public commitments: education, research, public policy, sharing best practices, plastics recycling and recovery, and plastic pellet containment.
• Fibre CirclecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFibre Circle is the Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO) for the paper and paper packaging sector and a member of Packaging SA. Packaging SA collaborates with Fibre Circle on recycling initiatives including the 'Recycling in the Bag' campaign, paper recycling awareness, and EPR scheme development. Fibre Circle provides education, SMME development, and coordinates producer responsibility obligations for the paper sector.
• POLYCO (Polyolefin Responsibility Organisation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPOLYCO is the Producer Responsibility Organisation for polyolefin, HD, PP, LD, LLD, multilayer packaging and PET. It is a member organisation affiliated with Packaging SA and handles EPR obligations for these material streams under the NEMWA EPR regulations.
• PETCO (The PET Recycling Company)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPETCO is the PRO for PET packaging in South Africa, managing EPR obligations and driving PET recycling. It is a member of Packaging SA and coordinates with industry on recycling targets and infrastructure.
• The Glass Recycling Company (TGRC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTGRC is the PRO for glass containers (bottles and jars) in South Africa, operating as a member of Packaging SA. It manages glass packaging EPR obligations and drives glass recycling rates.
• MetPac-SA (Metal Packaging Association of SA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMetPac-SA is the PRO representing steel, tinplate and aluminium packaging industries. It is a member of Packaging SA and handles EPR obligations for the metal packaging sector, working to increase metal recovery and recycling rates.
• Polystyrene Association of SAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Polystyrene Association of SA is the PRO for expanded and high impact polystyrene packaging. It is a member of Packaging SA and addresses polystyrene recycling and EPR obligations for this material stream.
• Vinyl LoopcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVinyl Loop is the PRO for vinyl products in South Africa, operating as a member of Packaging SA. It manages EPR obligations for vinyl packaging materials.
• Plastics|SAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlastics|SA is the umbrella body for the South African plastics industry. Packaging SA and Plastics|SA have collaborated on industry waste management plans, EPR regulations, marine litter prevention, and the signing of the Declaration for Solutions on Marine Litter under the Plastics Industry Global Action Team.
• PAMSA (Paper Manufacturers Association of South Africa)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPAMSA represents paper manufacturers and is a key partner in the Federation of Plans for the paper and packaging industry. PAMSA's executive director Jane Molony and its recycling arm RecyclePaperZA collaborate with Packaging SA on paper recycling initiatives and EPR scheme development.
• African Packaging Organisation (APO)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPackaging SA collaborates with the African Packaging Organisation through the AfriStar Awards, which are included as a category in the Gold Pack Awards programme. The AfriStar Awards recognise the best packaging produced in Africa, promoting packaging excellence across the continent.
• World Packaging Organisation (WPO)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe World Packaging Organisation accredits IPSA's One Year Diploma in Packaging Technology. Gold Pack and AfriStar Awards medal winners are eligible to enter the WPO WorldStar global awards, connecting South African packaging innovation to international recognition.
• Australian Institute of PackagingmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP) is a key international partner that co-accredits IPSA's One Year Diploma in Packaging Technology alongside the World Packaging Organisation and The Packaging Society (UK).

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Plastics|SA: The umbrella body for the South African plastics industry. Plastics|SA is the most direct peer — both organisations represent material-stream industries in SA, collaborate on EPR regulations and marine litter initiatives, and overlap significantly in plastics packaging membership.
• Paper Manufacturers Association of South Africa (PAMSA): Represents paper manufacturers in SA and partners with Packaging SA on the Federation of Plans and EPR scheme development. Both serve paper/packaging converters and brand owners in SA with overlapping membership and advocacy agendas.
• Fibre Circle: Producer Responsibility Organisation for the paper and paper packaging sector in SA. A member of Packaging SA but also operates parallel industry coordination, education, and EPR fee management that competes for the same member mindshare.
• POLYCO (Polyolefin Responsibility Organisation): PRO for polyolefins and PET in SA. Functions as a parallel industry-coordination body for plastics packaging converters and brand owners, with overlapping membership and EPR mandate that intersects directly with Packaging SA's plastics representation.
• PETCO (PET Recycling Company): PRO for PET packaging in SA. Operates recycling and EPR compliance infrastructure for the PET value chain, overlapping with Packaging SA on PET-related advocacy, recycling rate reporting, and member engagement.
• The Glass Recycling Company (TGRC): PRO for glass packaging in SA and a Packaging SA member. TGRC coordinates glass recycling and EPR obligations with similar industry-body functions scoped to glass, parallel to Packaging SA's glass-related work.

Broad incumbents

• African Packaging Organisation (APO): Continental packaging industry body with which Packaging SA co-hosts the AfriStar Awards. APO provides the broader pan-African coordination layer while Packaging SA is the national chapter with deeper SA-specific EPR focus.
• World Packaging Organisation (WPO): Global packaging industry body that accredits IPSA's diploma and runs WorldStar Awards. WPO is the global parent-equivalent in the packaging association hierarchy and sets standards Packaging SA aligns with internationally.

Regional players

• Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP): Australian packaging industry body and co-accreditor of IPSA's diploma. Operates as a comparable national packaging association in a different geography, providing a benchmark for Packaging SA's education, advocacy, and awards programmes.
• The Packaging Society (UK): UK packaging professional body that co-accredits IPSA's One Year Diploma. Functions as a parallel national packaging membership and education organisation, comparable to Packaging SA's IPSA education arm.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about packagingsa.co.za