eSwatini: Total ban on all single-use plastic carrier bags!

UPDATE (20 August 2026): This planned ban never fully materialised. The initial 01 December 2024 effective date was postponed to 31 January 2025, and in April 2025 the Eswatini Parliament suspended the legislation for a further seven years. Single-use plastic carrier bags therefore remain legal in the Kingdom of Eswatinifor now, despite the announcement below. Prime Minister Russell Dlamini has since reaffirmed the government's longer-term commitment to phasing out single-use plastics, most recently at the UN Ocean Conference (UNOC3) in Nice, France. 

The Kingdom of Eswatini is set to introduce a total ban on all single-use plastic carrier bags. According to a press statement by the Ministry of Tourism and Environmental Affairs issued on 22 May 2024, the ban becomes effective 01 December 2024 from the issuance of a Government gazette. Under the terms of the ban, all retailers, supermarkets, manufacturers and vendors in Eswatiniwill be prohibited from selling or providing for free single-use plastic shopping bags to customers. This encompasses bags made from traditional plastic materials, including polyethylene and polypropylene, regardless of thickness. Customers are encouraged to make use of reusable alternatives such as cloth bags, paper bags or durable tote bags.

In exercise of the powers conferred under Section 89 of the Environmental Management Act, 2002, the Minister of Tourism and Environment[al] Affairs through Legal Notice No. 155 of 21 May 2021, published the Control of Plastic Bags Regulations to regulate the production, importation and use of plastic bags; promote the reuse, recycling, and safe handling of plastic bags; and ultimately ban production, importation and use of plastic bags in Eswatini.
Pursuant to Regulation 14 of the Control of Plastic Bags Regulations, 2021 and a landmark decision aimed at combating environmental degradation and promoting sustainable practices, His Majesty’s government today announces a total ban on all single-use plastic carrier bags. [...] [src.]

 

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Rwanda to ban single-use plastics!

The Government of Rwanda is set to ban the manufacture, importation, use and sale of single-use plastic items, such as plastic packaging materials for food and other products, plastic bags, cups, straws and coffee stirrers. It has granted a three-month grace period to importers and retailers of single-use plastic items to phase them out before starting to penalise them, while manufacturers have been given a two-year grace period. According to Vincent Biruta, Rwanda's Minister for Environment, single-use plastic bottles are not affected by the ban. Rwanda banned imports of polythene bags already in 2008. We'll keep you posted!

Kenya to ban single-use plastic in all protected areas!

Kenya's president Uhuru Kenyatta has announced a ban on single-use plastics in all protected areas in Kenya on World Environment Day 2019. Effective 05 June 2020, visitors to Kenya's national parks, beaches, forests and conservation areas will be banned from carrying single-use plastics, such as plastic water bottles, plastic straws, plastic plates, plastic cups as well as plastic spoons and forks. The ban on single-use plastics inside all protected areas comes two years after Kenya banned the use, manufacture and importation of all plastic bags used for commercial and household packaging [link].

Botswana postpones plastic bag ban until further notice!

Botswana's Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism has informed the public on facebook that the plastic bag ban (Plastic Carrier Bag and Plastic Flat Bag Prohibition), which was set to become effective on 01 November 2018, has been postponed until further notice. According to the Ministry, the postponement is being done to allow further engagement on the implementation of the prohibition in Botswana. We'll keep you posted!

Botswana to ban plastic bags! >>

Botswana to ban plastic bags!

update (26 October 2018): Botswana postpones plastic bag ban until further notice! >>

The Government of Botswana is set to ban plastic carrier bags and plastic flat bags in Botswana from 01 November 2018. The ban will however not apply to the following for health and hygiene purposes:

• Bread bag - this refers to plastic bags used for packaging bread
• Plastic bin liner - refers to plastic bags used for lining refuse bins or refuse receptacles
• Barrier bag - thin or flimsy plastic bag used to separate products at final point of sale
• Plastic refuse bag - plastic bag designed for carrying waste
• Primary packaging - refers to plastic packaging that is in direct contact with the product for purposes of containing the product during transportation or handling to the point of distribution or point of use.

Any person contravening the regulations on the prohibition of the plastic carrier bag and plastic flat bag will be committing an offence and will be liable to the following:

• For a first offender, the plastic carrier bag or the flat bag will be confiscated.
• For a second or subsequent offence the person will be liable to a fine not exceeding P5, 000.00 or to a term of imprisonment not exceeding 30 days or both.

The time in between until 01 November 2018 is to allow for the public and affected industries in Botswana to put in place environmentally friendly packaging systems or alternatives to the plastic bag. In Africa, Botswana will be following the footsteps of Rwanda and Kenya that have already banned plastic bags.
More information on the plastic ban can be found on the Government Gazette of 01 June 2018, Statutory Instrument no. 74 of 2018, Waste Management (Plastic Carrier Bags and Plastic Flat Bags Prohibition) Regulations of 2018.

Kenya bans plastic bags!

The government of Kenya has banned the import, use and manufacture of plastic bags used for commercial and household packaging. The ban, which was made public by the country's Cabinet Secretary for the Environment and Natural Resources Prof. Judi W. Wakhungu on 15 March 2017, will become effective on 28 August 2017.



The banned plastic bags fall in in two categories:

• carrier bags - "constructed with handles, and with or without gussets"
• flat bags - "constructed without handles, and with or without gussets"

Botswana to ban elephant-back riding!

Botswana, known to have the highest elephant population in Africa, is set to ban all elephant-back riding acitivities. The only facility in the country to currently allow elephant-back riding, the Abu Camp in the Okavango Delta, has been directed by the Department of Environmental Affairs to terminate this kind of tourist offering from 31 December 2016. Abu Camp supports the decision by the government of Botswana. In a press release, the camp's management said "Following an extensive review of its programme and in compliance with recent government directives, as of 31 December 2016, Abu Camp will no longer allow guests to ride elephants." (quote via mmegi.bw)

 

South Africa: Kruger National Park bans liquor in its public areas

Day visitors to the Kruger National Park will no longer be allowed to bring or consume alcohol in public areas such as parking lots, picnic sites, wildlife viewing areas or roads, gates and all other areas designated as public as from Friday 18 March 2011.

The restrictions will not apply to overnight visitors who will be allowed to bring in own alcohol for consumption in the privacy of their booked accommodation and the restaurants. Like day visitors, overnight visitors will be bound by the same rules of not drinking in public.
“Over the past festive season, we had an increase in poor behaviour ranging from speeding, road kills, littering, playing of loud music, disturbance of wildlife at animal sightings, nude swimming in the pools, day visitors using designated areas for overnight guests only without permission from occupants and excessive public consumption of alcohol.” “We decided to introduce this policy in order to eliminate the growing unacceptable behaviour by visitors who misbehave in the park when they are intoxicated. This is actually nothing new but just ensuring that the provision the country’s Liquor Act are also enforced in the park”; says the KNP HOD: Public Relations, William Mabasa.
Management will also introduce the park and ride facilities at all gates during busy periods like the upcoming Human Rights weekend (19-21 March 2011). This service will provide alternative access to day visitors who still wish to enter the park once the gate day visitor quotas have been reached. An additional fee will be charged for the use of the park and ride facilities.
Day visitors are required to book through Central Reservations (012) 428 9111 or through the website via e-mail: reservations@sanparks.org. Wild Card holders and guests from neighbouring tourism establishments should also make sure they book for their day tours in advance.
Security personnel shall be deployed at all the gates to search people for liquor and no day visitor shall be allowed to enter the park with liquor.

Although in operation throughout the year, the gate quotas are mostly reached on long weekends and public holidays. The periods where high volumes of day visitors are expected in the park this year are as follows:

• 19 - 21 March 2011– Human Rights Day long weekend
• 23 April - 1 May 2011 – Easter Weekend, Freedom Day and Workers Day
• 17 - 18 June  – Youth Day long weekend
• 6 - 8 August 2011 – National Women’s Day long weekend
• 16 - 17 2011 December – Reconciliation Day long weekend
• 24 - 26 December 2011– Christmas Day long weekend
• 31 December 2011 -1 January  2012 – New Years Day long weekend

[via http://www.sanparks.org]