ETP3701 ASSIGNMENT 4
SEMESTER 1 2024
(590015) - DUE 22 MAY
2024
[Company address]
, ETP3701 Assignment 4 Semester 1 2024 (590015) - DUE 22
May 2024
CASE STUDY
Agripreneur: Ngwamba turns agricultural trash into burning treasure With a
passion for sustainability and innovation, Given Ngwamba transformed
adversity into opportunity, creating Nzilo Charcoal and paving the way for
eco-friendly grilling solutions. Years ago, Given Ngwamba’s garage in Ka-
maqhekeza, Mpumalanga was transformed into an impromptu innovation
hub, filled with homemade machines that would ultimately bring his ground-
breaking idea to fruition. He wanted to create coal using agricultural waste
such as groundnuts, sugarcane, macadamia shells, coconut, and waste from
mango leaves and banana trees. The idea came after Ngwamba found himself
at a crossroads in 2019 after a failed business venture left him seeking a new
beginning. “We built our own machines and experimented with different
materials. It wasn’t easy, but we were driven by the potential impact. “We’ve
gone from a handful of friends tinkering in a garage to a growing team;
employment opportunities in our community are incredibly rewarding,” he
says. Turning waste into wealth The name of Ngwamba’s business is Nzilo
Charcoal, which means “hope” in the local dialect. He sells his
environmentally-friendly briquettes to local retailers like Vleis Paleis
Nelspruit and Naas SuperSpar for R37 per bag who add their markup. Those
who buy directly from Ngwamba pay R50 per bag. At the core of Nzilo
Charcoal lies the principle of agricultural sustainability by repurposing waste
into valuable resources for producing cleaner-burning charcoal. In a
meticulous process, Nzilo Charcoal begins by gathering agricultural waste
such as sugarcane husks, corn stalks, and woodchips from nearby farms.
“This waste becomes the fuel for our eco-friendly briquettes,” Ngwamba
explains. These raw materials undergo a transformative journey starting with
sun-drying, an eco-friendly technique that harnesses the power of natural
sunlight. Once thoroughly dried, the material is then subjected to
carbonisation within specially designed kilns, where it undergoes a
metamorphosis into charcoal. The final stage of this artisanal process involves
Nzilo Charcoal’s handcrafted machines that compress the carbonised
material into dense briquettes. This careful sun-drying process over several
days not only ensures the purity of the end product but also guarantees clean-
SEMESTER 1 2024
(590015) - DUE 22 MAY
2024
[Company address]
, ETP3701 Assignment 4 Semester 1 2024 (590015) - DUE 22
May 2024
CASE STUDY
Agripreneur: Ngwamba turns agricultural trash into burning treasure With a
passion for sustainability and innovation, Given Ngwamba transformed
adversity into opportunity, creating Nzilo Charcoal and paving the way for
eco-friendly grilling solutions. Years ago, Given Ngwamba’s garage in Ka-
maqhekeza, Mpumalanga was transformed into an impromptu innovation
hub, filled with homemade machines that would ultimately bring his ground-
breaking idea to fruition. He wanted to create coal using agricultural waste
such as groundnuts, sugarcane, macadamia shells, coconut, and waste from
mango leaves and banana trees. The idea came after Ngwamba found himself
at a crossroads in 2019 after a failed business venture left him seeking a new
beginning. “We built our own machines and experimented with different
materials. It wasn’t easy, but we were driven by the potential impact. “We’ve
gone from a handful of friends tinkering in a garage to a growing team;
employment opportunities in our community are incredibly rewarding,” he
says. Turning waste into wealth The name of Ngwamba’s business is Nzilo
Charcoal, which means “hope” in the local dialect. He sells his
environmentally-friendly briquettes to local retailers like Vleis Paleis
Nelspruit and Naas SuperSpar for R37 per bag who add their markup. Those
who buy directly from Ngwamba pay R50 per bag. At the core of Nzilo
Charcoal lies the principle of agricultural sustainability by repurposing waste
into valuable resources for producing cleaner-burning charcoal. In a
meticulous process, Nzilo Charcoal begins by gathering agricultural waste
such as sugarcane husks, corn stalks, and woodchips from nearby farms.
“This waste becomes the fuel for our eco-friendly briquettes,” Ngwamba
explains. These raw materials undergo a transformative journey starting with
sun-drying, an eco-friendly technique that harnesses the power of natural
sunlight. Once thoroughly dried, the material is then subjected to
carbonisation within specially designed kilns, where it undergoes a
metamorphosis into charcoal. The final stage of this artisanal process involves
Nzilo Charcoal’s handcrafted machines that compress the carbonised
material into dense briquettes. This careful sun-drying process over several
days not only ensures the purity of the end product but also guarantees clean-
