Budding fuel industrialist Sibusiso Shabangu whose idea to make bricks from plastic developed into an innovative petrol and diesel plant in the backyard of a village home is over the moon that he has been given an opportunity to finish his studies.
Shabangu, 30, from Sibange village, near Malelane, Mpumalanga, studied mechanical engineering but could only study it up to N3 because of lack of funds.
He had been making diesel and petrol from his backyard and selling to people for a few years until he was stopped from operating by the department of environmental affairs in 2021.
But on Wednesday, the Chemical Industries Education and Training Authority (Chieta) visited him and offered to fund his education.
“I’m happy that Chieta has offered to fund my studies. It is my passion and I need to have a qualification in it. They also promised to fund my business skills training, which is going to come handy in future.
“I’m ready to partner with them and also happy that they are also going to help me meet funders because at the end of all my studies, I want to continue my fuel production project and hire unemployed community members,” said Shabangu.
Shabangu said when the operations were shut down, he had to let go of 10 employees.
“They are jobless and it’s frustrating. But with Chieta here, I know going to study will help me do the business in an environmentally friendly way,” he said.
In 2019, Shabangu told Sowetan that when he started, he was making bricks from plastic, to prevent dust, and decided to explore further after he realised that there was a smell of petrol, leading him to think that if he increased the heat, he could get petrol.
The plan worked.
“I was a security guard at a local company. When I lost my job, I came home and had a plan of making plastic bricks to pave my parents’ home.
“With plastic all over the village, I thought that would also help in recycling. When I started heating plastics, using metal drums on fire, the end product smelt like petrol,” he said.
“I then thought of the old way of making gin when ingredients would be placed on high heat and then gin would be produced.
“When the heat was about 400 degrees celsius, the plastic turned to oil, which later came out as diesel and I decided to increase the product,” Shabangu said.
Chieta CEO Yershen Pillay praised Shabangu for his innovative thinking to solve the country’s fuel problem.
“As Chieta, our role is to facilitate education and training, especially in the chemical industries. This great young man is very innovative, inspiring and motivating in the community and the country.
“We won’t let such skills go to waste without putting a hand. From this rural part of the country, Shabangu is turning plastics to fuel. It’s inspiring for all young entrepreneurs.
“We will pay for his mechanical engineering degree and also offer him business-related training, which will also help him keep the business part of his business,” said Pillay.
Resident German Mkhatshwa who owns a tractor told Sowetan that he used to buy diesel from Shabangu.
“This boy sells diesel very cheaply. His litre of diesel is R10. But with [the help of] Chieta, this boy is going to further his life because things work nice for educated people and his business is going to be big,” said Mkhatshwa.
newsdesk@sowetan.co.za
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