How can households in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan (NMB) in South Africa benefit from clean cookstoves? To identify the possibilities, the Dutch companies Mimi Moto and Partners for Innovation started a collaboration in August 2023. Mimi Moto will deliver gasifier cookstoves and Coega Biomass Centre, based in NMB, sustainable wood pellets.

The first step of the collaboration is an extensive study about current cooking practices at households in low income neighbourhoods in NMB. This study is executed with the support from Nelly Dama, a master student from Hanze University in the Duch city of Groningen. A group of 11 youngsters from 11 low income neighbourhoods in NMB have been identified, selected and trained to carry out surveys amongst a thousand households in the 11 neighbourhoods. In addition, interviews will be held with local leaders and focus group discussions will be organised in several neighbourhoods.

Social and economic impact

The results of these activities will provide a detailed understanding of the social and economic impact of current cooking practices and the potential for introducing gasifier cookstoves with pellets.

Developing a business model

The second step will focus on developing a business model for a cookstove-pellet company in NMB. A pilot project, introducing the cookstoves and pellets, is foreseen as the third step. Depending on a successful outcome of the pilot project, the two companies will explore the options to set-up a company in South Africa.

For more information, please contact Emiel Hanekamp.

With this project we contribute to the following Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations: