“Kind of Sweet”: Durban Man Explains Why Phara's Put Collected Recyclables Back Onto Ground in Video

• A video filmed in an eThekwini park at dusk showed phara tipping out bags of collected rubbish onto the grass
• The man filming explained that phara's in Durban do this every day as part of how they divide their haul among themselves
• South Africans online were amused and intrigued by the clever informal recycling strategy as they gave it a name

A Durban man caught something unexpected happening in a local park and decided to share it with the world.

On 24 July 2026, Instagram user Thembinkosi Mungu posted a video filmed at dusk in a grassy park in eThekwini. In it, scattered litter, bottles, tins and packaging covered the lawn, while a group of phara's appeared to be emptying bags of rubbish they had already collected back onto the ground.

The caption on the video read "Ehh😳😂," perfectly capturing the moment of amused disbelief.

Durban Pharas and Their Fair Share System

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But there was a perfectly logical reason behind the seemingly strange behaviour. The man filming explained it plainly: the pharas had collected their rubbish, then poured it all out so they could divide it equally amongst themselves before each person recollected their portion.

The strategy is about fairness. By spreading everything out in the open, each phara can see exactly what is being shared and pick up an equal cut of the recyclable materials, which they then sell for cash.

From trolley to payday

The cardboard and paper collected by street waste pickers help keep South Africa's recycling industry running. They sell recyclable materials to buy-back centres, which supply companies like Mpact. By installing paper balers at these centres, Mpact helps small business owners process more material, cut transport costs and earn more while boosting recycling efficiency.

View the Instagram video below:

Mzansi Reacts to the Strategy

South Africans on the page had a lot to say about the clever system:

@lay_tea_ware said:

"Yeah they do this every time 😂 and kuba ngathi competition yokuqoqa mase becosha [it's like a competition to collect when they start picking it up]."

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@singa_rsa wrote:

"Equality 🤣🤣"

@asakhane_sihlekisane shared:

"Aaaaaah shame this is kinder sweet"

@mthokozisi__b joked:

"Phara-lympics 😂🔥"

@graham.ronnie.5 noted:

"A culture ingrained into the locals in building a better future 😂"

@nsimbie24 asked:

"So if I collected 3 full bin bags... mele ngiwuhlukanise nona 1 [must I share it with person who got one]?? 🤔"

More Briefly News Stories on Phara's

• An unfiltered interview with a Johannesburg waste picker shed light on his daily struggles, outspoken personality and reaction to Julius Malema's sentencing, sparking widespread discussion online.
• A South African waste picker amazed Mzansi after revealing he pushes a costly sonar machine on his trolley, proving valuable equipment can have an unexpected second life.
• A woman had South Africans in stitches after sharing a video of her mischievous cat repeatedly trying to steal cash from a table, earning it the nickname "phara cat."

Source: Briefly News