More than two million households in South Africa live in informal dwellings built from plastic sheeting, scrap wood and corrugated metal — structures that offer little protection against rain, wind and cold.
Now construction materials supplier AfriSam has turned an unlikely resource into a source of support: billboard vinyl.
The billboards are replenished every time someone takes one down. Source: AfriSam.
Opportunity for purpose
AfriSam recognised that billboard vinyl, widely used as insulation and waterproofing in informal housing, was being actively protected from removal through hostile measures at sites near informal settlements. The company saw an opportunity to put its purpose into action.
A person heeds the call of the OOH campaign and takes the billboard material.
The brand redirected its out-of-home media budget to these unwanted billboard sites, not to advertise, but to distribute. Street-facing billboards carried a simple call to action, encouraging people to take the vinyl to help reinforce their homes. As the vinyl was removed, it was replaced, transforming advertising infrastructure into an ongoing source of building material.
“This is about using what already exists to help where it’s needed most,” said Stephanie Hunter, creative director at Promise, advertising partner to AfriSam. “Instead of ending up as waste, these materials are now helping families reinforce their homes. It shows how small changes in how we use resources can have a real impact.
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Human needs
Rather than introducing something new, the initiative rethinks what already exists. Advertising infrastructure becomes a distribution network. Waste becomes a building resource. Business assets are redirected to meet real human needs.
In 2026, the initiative expanded, with AfriSam following up with a donation of 1,000 bags of cement to support the move from temporary structures to more permanent homes.
Recognising that one company alone cannot meet the scale of the challenge, the initiative has evolved into a broader call to action, inviting brands and media owners to donate their surplus billboard vinyl rather than sending it to landfill. The goal is simple: turn advertising waste into building materials, while encouraging the industry to rethink how it supports the communities it operates in.
