Visitors to Propak Cape 2026 in Cape Town will have the opportunity to hear directly from leading packaging industry specialists when the Institute of Packaging SA hosts a programme of free-to-attend seminars alongside the exhibition later this month.
Covering sustainability, recyclability, the circular economy, extended producer responsibility (EPR), packaging design, food safety, recycling, plastics, and more, the programme provides a fast-moving look at some of the issues shaping the packaging industry – and what they mean for businesses operating in South Africa.
From packaging design to a circular economy
The programme gets underway with national secretary for the Institute of Packaging South Africa, Bill Marshall, sharing highlights of the latest packaging design trends emerging from the 2026 Gold Pack Awards and the Student Gold Pack Awards. The new trends reveal evolving standards, innovations and thinking in future packaging design.
Sustainability and recyclability feature strongly, with Edwin Botha, recyclability and life cycle assessment officer for Fibre Circle, discussing Bridging the Gap between Sustainability and Recyclability in Packaging Design, exploring the disconnect between sustainability and recycling and the challenges faced to support circular-economy objectives.
Head of sustainability for sub-Saharan Africa at Tetra Pak, Masale Manoko, will discuss How to Grow South Africa’s Carton Collection and Recycling Economy to Turn Waste into Valuable Raw Materials, looking at how collaboration, technology, infrastructure investment, community empowerment and consumer education can work together to create a functioning circular recycling economy.
New developments supporting recycling are also on the agenda. Bobst’s Manuel Cortizo will discuss the company’s One Barrier programme, providing industrially viable, recycle-ready, mono-material alternatives to complex multi-material flexible packaging, while senior sales director for Reinfenhauser Blown Film GmbH, Sascha Skora, will discuss EVO GEN3 Packaging Films for a Circular Economy.
EPR, regulation and what comes next
Extended producer responsibility is another key theme, with a strong line-up exploring how EPR is evolving and what it means for the packaging industry.
CEO of MetPac SA, Dr Kishan Singh, will discuss The Paradox of Progress: The Stewardship of Modern Packaging, examining how EPR can help society evolve from a society of consumers to one that accepts responsibility for stewarding materials through generations of use. CEO for The Sustainable Seas Trust, Janine Osborne, will speak on Making EPR Work on the Ground, discussing the gap between EPR as a compliance and reporting exercise and EPR as coordinated, place-based delivery.
Looking to the future, CEO and founder of eWASA, Keith Anderson, will present Packaging in a Circular Economy, exploring how South Africa can move beyond EPR compliance into real projects turning recovered material into value, with a roadmap to 2030.
What EPR Means for the Future of South Africa’s Packaging Industry will be explored by PRO Alliance executive director, Makgabo van Niekerk, while Petco CEO, Telly Chauke, will discuss The Impact of Global Packaging Regulatory Shifts on the Domestic EPR Landscape and Local Producers and What South Africa Needs for EPR 2.0.
Practical insights for packaging professionals
The programme also gets into the practical issues affecting packaging businesses, from food safety and fresh produce to recycling and production efficiency.
Technical officer for safety and quality at the Foundation FSSC, Antoinette Maake, will outline Safe Food Packaging: Packaging Design Principles and Key FSSC 22000 Version 7 Updates. General manager for RYPEN, Lianne Jones, will discuss Ethylene Management in Fresh Produce: Developing Active Packaging for Real Supply Chains, sharing what has been learnt from ethylene deployment across South African and export supply chains.
Visitors can also hear from CEO of The Glass Recycling Company, Shabeer Jhetam, on Glass Recycling in South Africa, and executive for technical operations at Plastics SA, Annabe Pretorius, on The State of the Plastics Industry.
Other sessions will focus on practical solutions to industry challenges, including the importance of static control on packaging production lines and how new and innovative technologies can be used to protect profit margins and accelerate growth.
Mark Anderson, Propak Cape portfolio director, Montgomery Group, says: “Propak Cape gives visitors the opportunity to explore the latest packaging, food processing, plastics, printing and labelling solutions, compare machinery, materials and technologies firsthand, and engage directly with technical specialists and industry experts. The IPSA seminar programme adds another dimension to the visitor experience, with free-to-attend sessions providing insights into the latest developments, trends and challenges affecting the industry.
"Printing SA’s half-day business leaders conference and the FTASA Print Excellence Awards will also take place during Propak Cape week, adding to the programme of industry events taking place in Cape Town during this time. With so much to see, explore and learn, Propak Cape offers visitors a valuable opportunity to connect with the latest developments across the packaging and related industries.”
Propak Cape 2026 takes place from 27 to 29 October 2026 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC).
For further information and free visitor registration, go to www.propakcape.co.za.
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