Malawi's rapidly growing population is putting pressure on the construction industry to provide adequate housing and infrastructure. Today’s annual housing demand in Malawi already exceeds 120,000 units and is increasing further.
Burnt bricks are the primary building material used, with approx. 6 billion needed for housing only. Traditional brick production methods are inefficient, relying heavily on fuelwood for firing bricks. The fuelwood used is not harvested sustainably, leading to significant pressure on Malawi's natural resources. As a result, brick production heavily contributes to deforestation, affecting the ecological balance and reducing the availability of forest resources. The informal nature of the brick production sector further exacerbates these issues, as there is little investment in technology or skill development to improve efficiency and sustainability.
To address these challenges, the Malawian NGO Centre for Community Organisation and Development (CCODE) introduced the Vertical Shaft Brick Kiln (VSBK) technology to Malawi. Supported by the German Government through the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), the British Department for International Development (DFID), and the Indian NGO Technology and Action for Rural Advancement (TARA), CCODE established Eco-Matters Ltd and built a pilot plant called Eco-Kiln. The Eco-Kiln is now one of Africa’s most energy-efficient brick firing technologies. With GIZ providing technical expertise adapted to the context and connecting local and international partners, and the support through a carbon finance facility established by the German NGO atmosfair CCODE is now disseminating this technology to Malawian entrepreneurs.