Born in KwaMashu, Durban, Zinhle Ngidi, is the founder of Igugu Labantu and the KZN Solaris Biodiesel Project which cultivates and processes the Solaris tobacco plant in order to produce biodiesel.
The youngest of her siblings, Zinhle was raised in a single-parent home and attended school in Durban. After school, she completed a number of short courses in subjects such as IT and business, as well as completing a course in business management. Open to experimentation, she had her first taste of entrepreneurship when she sold goods such as Tupperware and Avon and realised that she didn’t want to work for anyone.
Zinhle got the idea for her project through her love of agriculture. Having experimented and failed with growing Moringa trees, she was introduced to a plant that used the trees for biodiesel production with an offer that she take over the plant. After researching the process she realised that it was not viable and began to look for alternatives, eventually landing upon the Solaris tobacco plant. This led to her collaboration with the Italian-based company that owned the plant and the start of her project.
The business is split into two parts, the agricultural and technological, with the agricultural covering the cultivation, harvesting, drying, separation and crushing of seeds of the Solaris tobacco plant resulting in oil which is then processed further to make biodiesel. The project has faced a number of challenges including having to overcome the high risk of agriculture as perceived by investors as well as the skepticism faced when proposing tobacco cultivation in KwaZulu Natal, while the unforeseeable forces of nature make agriculture itself challenging.
Zinhle has a 7-year growth plan for the business starting with the training of local cooperatives from rural communities to cultivate the Solaris plant allowing them to focus on innovating in the biodiesel space and set up a demo plant. The ultimate goal is to have a 15 million liter production plant operating year-round while increasing the economic opportunities of the rural communities that they partner with.
With Zinhle’s family originally from Nkandla, a place she often visits, she is reminded of differences in lifestyles between urban and rural communities. Helping other people who feel forgotten and like they have nothing to offer, with an idea which shows they do have something to contribute to society fills her with peace.
Zinhle is looking to gain exposure for her project and to attract investors that can help scale up the business. She is also looking to gain knowledge, something she can’t get enough of, as well as meeting new people and establishing networks and to grow from other people’s experiences.
1 minZinhle Ngidi creates biodiesel from the Solaris tobacco plant
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Zinhle Ngidi is one of 14 social entrepreneurs taking part in this year's Red Bull Amaphiko Academyin Durban.
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