Mr Athi Mavukwana

Mr Athi Mavukwana’s research focus is on the use of low-value waste materials to produce energy and other useful products. This is very relevant given the current environmental and energy crisis that South Africa, and the world, is facing. Mr Mavukwana has developed a new approach for reusing waste tires to minimise environmental impact while generating profit. The approach simplifies a complex waste tire conversion system, involving a targeted combination of waste tires and other raw waste materials as feed. It produces a combination of products, including energy and chemicals, making the system more efficient and economically flexible. He completed his BTech in Chemical Engineering at the Durban University of Technology and MTech at the University of Johannesburg and recently met the requirements for the Doctoral degree dissertation at the University of South Africa where he is also a lecturer. He was a Fulbright Visiting Scholar at the University of Maryland; published five peer-reviewed journal articles, and received a Research Excellence Award from UNISA.