Since the year 2011 at VUTHISA we have been acting upon our Mission statement which is to “Investigate and Disseminate New and Innovative Technologies to Developing Economies“. Assist in the transfer of new technologies and developments in the fields of Emerging Energy products and Green Technologies to rural Forestry and Farming communities. Visit our YouTube Video Playlist to see some of the projects managed. It is also our goal to work closely with NGO’s, Governmental- and Charitable Organizations to effectively achieve this transfer of information. Our range of products will reduce energy demand, improve quality of living and promote self-sufficiency. We also offer a Forest Mensuration / Mapping service and Timber Brokering. In 2020 we started a Sawlog Tally Service to assist sawmills to record the delivery of logs to depots to estimate Volumes (m3) and Weighted Thin End Diam (cm).

Please support our efforts by donating or supporting our Patreon page.

R500 donation

with PayFast (SA only and using your own banking portal)

or through PayPal

VUTHISA receives many requests every month for information on:

How to make charcoal?
What production equipment to use?
What feedstock makes the best charcoal?
What is the difference between Charcoal and Biochar?
Cost of equipment?
and more

We offer a once-off fee of R 2500 which will grant participants immediate answers to the above questions – for life. By browsing through this website it will be seen that we are experts in the field of charcoal and biochar production. Click the banner below and be added to our database of people that we have assisted and continue to assist. Get information on marketing techniques to get your charcoal operation profitable from the get-go. Get your VUTHISA Golden Ticket now!

Purchasing a ticket also gets you a free bundle of 100 generic charcoal bags, worth ±R 500, delivered to your door. Choose between the 4kg and the 5kg.

Current Projects

Working for Water Clearing

Between 2014 and 2016 we partnered with the Department of Environmental Affairs’ Natural Resource Management (NRM), Land User Incentive (LUI) Programme to eradicate Invasive Alien Plant Species (IAPs) and create employment as part of the Working for Water (WfW) programme. Since January 2014 we have employed 74 men, women and youth in the Kokstad area (Sisonke District Municipality) and the project was known as Vuthisa Charcoal Projects. More than 600 ha of infested areas have been rehabilitated back to pristine grasslands to date, preventing biodiversity loss.

Biochar Kilns

The Energy and Environment Partnership for Southern and East Africa (EEP-S&EA) have partnered with us until July 2015 to fund 50% of the Vuthisa Biochar Initiative project costs. The EEP Programme in Southern and East Africa is jointly funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland (lead donor), The Austrian Development Agency (ADA) and the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID). For further information visit: http://eepafrica.org/. The Vuthisa Biochar Initiative aims to develop Emission Reducing Biochar & Charcoal kilns, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, create carbon sinks and develop cost effective Eco-fertilizers and soil amendment products. As a “for profit” start-up organisation we find it hard to convince Corporate donors to include us in their CSI programmes. Please support our initiatives by visiting our Donation page or buy our kiln plans. VUTHISA markets its Biochar kilns under BIOCHAR KILNS INTERNATIONAL (PTY) LTD or BKI in short.

R200 for kiln plans (PDF)

with PayFast (SA only and using your own banking portal) OR click on the PayPal button below to pay via PayPal or via credit card

NEW! ATTENTION SMALL SUBSISTENCE FARMERS and THOSE OF YOU LOOKING FOR A CHEAPER STARTER KILN!

We’ve added a new kiln model namely the BKI MINI MASON. It only produces 60 kg of BIOCHAR per day and is covered in PLASTER to make it look like concrete to eliminate THEFT of metal for scrap.

CLICK on the image below to open the CALC SHEET:

The CALC SHEET includes INPUT areas for each BIOCHAR kiln model (RING17, RING20, BKI MINI MASON) listed on separate worksheet tabs to calculate their respective costs.

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Fuel Briquetting