One man’s trash is another man’s treasure, or so the old saying goes.
A young couple from Francistown are hoping this proves true as they attempt to build themselves a better life, one plastic brick at a time.
Unemployed, with two children depending on them, 23-year-old Gosaitse Unoda Khura and her boyfriend, Tumelo Busang, 21, were struggling to get by, unsure how they would support their kids.
The answer came to them as they were flicking mindlessly through their phones at their rented Monarch home one cold winter’s morning last June.
During their online ramblings, they stumbled upon a video of a man making chairs from old bits of recycled plastics.
“My boyfriend, who is also the father to my two kids, suggested we do something similar and use this concept to make bricks. I realised I’d never seen or heard of plastic bricks in Botswana. I fell in love with the idea and we immediately started planning for it,” reveals Khura.
After more research online, where they discovered plastic brick manufacturing is well established in several countries, including: South Africa, Ivory Coast, China and India, the lovebirds got to work.
Much trial and error followed!
“We bought black plastics at Shoprite and collected plastic bottles on the streets. We did not have a mould so we bought a small cooking pan, boiled the waste and poured it into the pan for shape. It was a disaster! It did not come out the way we wanted and was too soft. We quickly threw it away,” recalls the Nkange native.
Undeterred, they sacrificed one of their prized cellphones, selling the mobile for P500 and using the money to pay a Zezuru blacksmith to make them a steel mould.
“We melted a bathtub on the fire then poured the liquid plastic into the new mould. Again it was a huge flop; the shape did not come out well. We nearly gave up but remembered patience pays. Starting a business from a dry pocket is not easy!”
This time, the determined duo parted ways with their television, seeking out a different metal worker to forge them another mould.
Finally they got it right and on 15 November 2024, Tumelo Busang Plastic Bricks was officially registered.
“That is when we started manufacturing our dream pavers,” adds Khura proudly.
The business received a timely boost in December, when they won a three-month contract from Francistown City Council to salvage plastics from the dumping site.
“A challenge of protective clothing then resurfaced as you cannot get to the landfill without one. We only have one set so currently I am the only one who can go to collect. We are still to look for more clothing, as you know se tshwarwakentsapediga se thata (two hands are better than one).”
At the moment, the couple have three moulders, each capable of making two bricks at a go.
It takes two hours for the bricks to set, a slow process that means production is still very much restricted.
“It is not enough but better than nothing. The moulds have to cool before we can lay the bricks and pour new ones. It’s a frustrating and time-consuming. We hope a Good Samaritan, government and cooperates can read this story and bless us with a machine and protective clothing so we can grow this project. We also need land to operate from. We want to be the champions of this industry. Batswana have to know stock bricks can be made with plastics!” declares Khura, whose arms are scarred with burn marks incurred from the melting plastic.
Despite these setbacks, Khura and Busang are confident they are on to a winner and remain resolute.
“The advantages of our bricks compared to clay ones are that they can fall and do not break, cannot be damaged by weather, do not have chips or cracks and are cheaper,” says Khura, pointing out the project is also environmentally-friendly as it recycles plastic, something that is still at an infancy in Botswana.
Charging P4.50 a brick, currently the couple concentrate on paving bricks for small paths and outdoor gardens.
Customers mostly comprise of individuals, although Supa Ngwa (Francistown Museum) recently put in a small order.
