Drivers of Circular Economy Adoption in the South African Construction Industry

The take-make-dispose approach, which is linear in nature, still drives the building sector. A change in thinking is necessary because of the relatively considerable negative environmental effects of this approach. If the principles are followed in the sector, circular economy (CE) has been viewed as a strategy that might result in ecologically sustainable development. However, as a significant approach in emerging economies development, it is expedient the driving forces of the CE approach are recognized and comprehended. Hence, this study examines the drivers of circular economy adoption in the South African (SA) construction industry. A survey method was selected. Ninety (90) of the one hundred and thirty-five (135) questionnaires that were sent to construction industry professionals in Guateng Province, South Africa, were returned and deemed appropriate for study. One-sample t-tests, Kruskal–Wallis, standard deviation, percentage, and mean item scores were used to analyze the collected data. The findings reveal the significant drivers of CE in SA construction industry which are regulations and policies on CE, incentives to customers, Stakeholders’ pressure and enabling infrastructure. This finding could inform construction stakeholders in the country on the drivers of CE and these highlighted drivers must motivate relevant parties to take considerable action on them in order for the SA construction sector to profit from this crucial strategy.