News

Kruger National Park (KNP) in partnership with Total South Africa (Total SA) formally handed over on Friday, 19 June 2026, a structural establishment, fencing, personal protective equipment, garden tools, sign boards, production machinery and a three-phase generator; all to the value of R800 000 to Dziphathu Green Tech Bio Briquette Project. Dziphathu focuses on collection and reuse of bio waste material such as leaves and twigs, turning them into reusable products and is found in Bende Mutale, a village outside Pafuri Gate in Limpopo Province.

The project is funded by South African National Parks (SANParks) Corporate Social Investment through TotalEnergies, also linking this Small, Medium and Micro Enterprise with the Park Shops, access gates in the northern part of the park and with other partners such as Indalo Premier for training.

Dziphathu’s main aim is to minimize deforestation by making briquettes from those bio waste, for cooking and heating use; and is in line with both the World Environmental Day (WED) commemorated on 5 June as well as the Desertification and Drought Day (DDD) commemorated globally every year on 17 June.

This year’s WED theme is “Inspired by Nature, For Climate, For Our Future”. This year’s focus—also championed under the broader banner of Climate Action—emphasises the urgent need to look to natural ecosystems and nature-based solutions to combat climate change. The DDD theme on the other hand is Rangelands: Recognise. Respect. Restore, and focuses on the importance of rangelands as biodiversity hotspots and natural providers of food security, clean drinking water, jobs and opportunities for socio-economic development.

Dziphathu Green Tech project manufactures eco-briquettes that are made from 100% of organic waste. The briquettes produce 2% of carbon dioxide which helps reduce harmful carbon emissions as well as deforestation as there is no chopping down of trees. The project is expanding and recently added the production of paving bricks made from 100% plastic, plastic brooms also made from two litre soft drinks bottles.

Biodiversity is important, our plants and animals can be negatively influenced by habitat loss and degradation due to human activities such as environmental pollution. Dziphathu project helps promote environmental education and awareness message within local communities, to determine which living and non-living organisms coexist within the ecosystem.

Although the target market for the project is household and individuals in the rural areas who use firewood for cooking and heating; the founder does not only want to tap into businesses such as the Park Shops in the Kruger National Park but also supermarkets and other tourists’ attractions wherein their products could be sold for barbeque (braai) needs. Government departments such as the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, have emphasised this year that as a country, we must continue investing in climate adaptation measures that protect communities, infrastructure, livelihoods and natural ecosystems. This includes strengthening early warning systems, improving disaster preparedness, restoring degraded land, protecting wetlands and water resources, and supporting climate-smart agriculture and green economic opportunities.