Rethinking Sustainability: A Bibliometric and Visualisation of E-Waste Management in Africa

Abstract

In bridging the digital divide and enhancing participation in the knowledge economy, most developing countries permit the importation of second-hand electronic equipment. The Global North exports over 80% of e-waste into the Global South; this is perceived as the neo-colonisation and decarbonisation divide. Rising e-waste in developing countries is an environmental and epidemiological crisis due to limited recycling infrastructure and environmental policies. This study performed a bibliometric analysis and visualisation of e-waste management in Africa. The initial Web of Science database search yielded 519,441 articles and refined them to 29 relevant articles. Results show the geographic distribution of articles, citation trends, H-index and keyword analysis. South Africa leads on publications, followed by Ghana, and new themes emerge. E-waste management research is rising, with over 60% of the articles published in the last five years. The publications have an H-index of 14, and the keyword analysis identified three distinct clusters. The study contributes to literature and challenges policymakers to craft policies that support the sustainable management of e-waste.