Bio360 Africa 2026 Showcases Biochar as Driver for Africa's Circular Bioeconomy

Experts call for stronger partnerships, investment, standards and innovation to accelerate sustainable biochar development across the continent

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA, Gallagher Convention Centre – Bio360 Africa 2026 Exhibition and Conference brought together global leaders, researchers, policymakers, investors, private sector actors, development partners and innovators committed to advancing Africa's bioenergy and circular bioeconomy. A two day event bringing 50+ exhibitors, 80+ speakers, 25+ countries and 750 delegates under the same roof. Held under the theme of accelerating sustainable bio-based solutions for the continent, the convention provided a platform for knowledge exchange, technology showcase, networking and strategic partnerships aimed at unlocking the enormous potential of Africa's mostly untapped biological resources. To relive the event and view the wealth of conference presentations please click here: https://www.bio360-africa.com/Page/1719/relive-2026

Among the event flagship programs were the two-day biochar technical sessions, which attracted significant interest from delegates across the African continent and beyond. . The sessions demonstrated that biochar has evolved from being a niche agricultural innovation into a strategic solution capable of addressing some of Africa's most pressing challenges, including climate change, soil degradation, waste management, renewable energy production, carbon removal, industrial decarbonization and sustainable rural development.

The Circular Bionutrient Economy Association (CBEA) led two focused sessions, moderated by the CBEA Board Chairperson, Samuel Thuo Mungai. Sam guided discussions featuring internationally recognized experts from academia, industry, development organizations and carbon market institutions. Throughout the two days, participants explored practical experiences, scientific developments, policy needs and investment opportunities that are positioning biochar as one of the most promising technologies within Africa's growing circular bioeconomy.

The opening session focused on Navigating Biochar Carbon Projects: Building Credible and Investable Biochar Carbon Projects, bringing together Valeria Araico of the International Biochar Initiative (IBI), Anna Schniepper of Carbon Standards International (CSI), and Yanzi Zhou of Atmosfair GmbH. The discussion highlighted the rapidly growing role of biochar in global carbon markets, where durable carbon removal technologies are attracting increasing attention from climate investors seeking high-integrity projects, defined in the industry as projects that deliver  real, measurable, additional, permanent, independently verified, and transparently monitored greenhouse gas emission reductions or carbon removals while ensuring strong environmental and social safeguards. Speakers emphasized that while Africa possesses abundant biomass resources capable of supporting large-scale biochar production, attracting investment requires projects that demonstrate scientific credibility, transparency, environmental integrity and measurable social impact is challenging.

Robust monitoring, reporting and verification systems, together with internationally recognized certification standards, were identified as critical requirements for ensuring investor confidence and market acceptance. The panel further underscored the importance of sustainable biomass sourcing, traceability, digital monitoring tools and adherence to recognized quality standards such as those promoted by Carbon Standards International.

Building on the carbon finance discussion, the second session examined Biochar Across Africa: The Pathway from Today's Emerging Projects to Industry Scale. The panel featured Samuel Mungai (CBEA), Prof. Abdelaziz Baqaoui from Cadi Ayyad University, John Hofmeyr of the South African Chemical Institute, and Valeria Araico of IBI. While acknowledging the increasing number of biochar initiatives emerging across Africa, the speakers noted that many projects remain small-scale demonstrations with limited commercial impact. They identified several barriers to scaling, including inadequate financing, limited technical capacity, fragmented markets, inconsistent product quality, insufficient policy support and the absence of harmonized standards. The session called for stronger collaboration among governments, research institutions, development partners and the private sector to create enabling environments that support commercialization. Regional organizations such as CBEA were recognized for their role in catalyzing such collaborations, with funding for these initiatives still missing in large-scale circular economy development strategies.

The afternoon programme shifted focus to practical experiences during the session on South African Biochar Insights: Individual Journeys, Collective Experience. Industry pioneers including Murrough Davies-Webb (B10), Johan Greeff (PyroCCS GmbH), Musa Msimango (Phambili Energy), Wihan Bekker (CHARR), Clayton Postma (Aquagel Pty Ltd) and Kenneth Ngobeni (Nhlamunyiko Engineering) shared their experiences of establishing and operating biochar enterprises within different sectors. Their presentations illustrated that successful biochar businesses require more than technical expertise. Long-term viability depends on reliable biomass sources and transportation, appropriate pyrolysis technologies, consistent product quality, customer awareness, diversified revenue streams and strong partnerships throughout the circular value-chain. Several speakers described the financial and operational challenges of introducing new technologies into emerging markets but also demonstrated how cross-sector collaboration has enabled businesses to expand into agriculture, water treatment, waste management, renewable energy production and carbon removal services. The discussion reinforced the importance of multi-sector entrepreneurship in driving Africa's circular economy.

The first day concluded with an exploration of Industrial Biochar Applications for Metallurgy, Construction and Mining Land Rehabilitation, moderated by Elias Matinde of MINTEK. Contributions from Henk Bouwer, Musa Msimango, Esta van Heerden, Kenneth Ngobeni and Oliver Glanville demonstrated that biochar practitioners are increasingly finding product applications beyond agriculture. The panel highlighted the growing interest in using biochar as a renewable alternative to fossil carbon in metallurgical processes, helping industries reduce greenhouse gas emissions while improving sustainability. Speakers also showcased innovative applications in construction materials, where biochar is being incorporated into concrete, bricks and insulation products to improve performance while permanently storing carbon within buildings. Discussions on mining rehabilitation illustrated how biochar can significantly improve severely degraded soils, enhance water retention, stimulate microbial activity and accelerate vegetation establishment on mine tailings and disturbed landscapes. These industrial applications demonstrated biochar's potential to contribute to Africa's broader decarbonization and infrastructural development agenda while supporting sustainable industrialization.

The second day opened with a session on Regenerative Agriculture: Restoring Soils through Biological and Circular Solutions, which attracted considerable interest from farmers, agribusinesses, researchers and policymakers. Moderated by Samuel Mungai, the panel featured Tim Egan (Regen Organics), Jean-Yves Berthon (Greencell), Tafadzwa Nyamande (CarbonConnect), Musa Msimango, Clayton Postma and David Gimbel (BioActive Biologics). The discussions centered on the urgent need to restore Africa's degraded soils through regenerative agricultural practices that rebuild soil biology rather than relying solely on synthetic inputs.

Biochar was presented as a powerful soil amendment capable of improving soil structure, increasing nutrient retention, enhancing microbial diversity, increasing water-holding capacity, and improving crop resilience under increasingly variable climatic conditions. Speakers emphasized that biochar delivers even greater benefits when integrated with synthetic fertilizers, compost, livestock manure, beneficial microorganisms and conservation agriculture practices. By converting agricultural residues into valuable soil amendments, biochar also exemplifies circular economy principles, transforming waste into resources while reducing open burning and greenhouse gas emissions.

Across all sessions, several common themes emerged. Delegates consistently emphasized the importance of quality assurance, credible certification systems and internationally recognized standards in building confidence among investors, policymakers and end users. The role of digital monitoring technologies and transparent carbon accounting was highlighted as essential for unlocking access to voluntary carbon markets and climate finance. Speakers also stressed that biochar should be viewed not merely as an agricultural input but as a versatile platform technology capable of contributing to renewable energy production, industrial decarbonisation, waste valorisation, environmental restoration and sustainable economic development.

Another recurring message throughout the convention was the need for stronger partnerships. Participants agreed that scaling Africa's biochar sector will require coordinated efforts involving governments, research institutions, universities, private companies, financial institutions, development organizations and farmer groups. Capacity building, technology transfer, policy development and regional collaboration were repeatedly identified as essential pillars for accelerating adoption across the continent, but cannot be achieved within silos, it must be a unified effort.

The event highlighted Africa's enormous competitive advantage in biochar development. With abundant agricultural residues, forestry by-products, invasive biomass and organic waste streams, the continent possesses vast feedstock resources capable of supporting sustainable biochar production while simultaneously addressing waste management challenges. Combined with growing international demand for high-quality carbon removal projects, these resources position Africa as an emerging leader within the global carbon economy.

The successful delivery of the biochar programme was strengthened through the technical contributions of Carbon Standards International and CarbonConnect, whose expertise on carbon certification, project development and carbon finance enriched the discussions and provided participants with practical insights into developing high-integrity carbon projects. Their participation reinforced the growing importance of international collaboration as global carbon market hubs grow in differing regional contexts but trade in the same international market. 

As the event came to a close, delegates expressed optimism and promise for further collaborations. The  discussions demonstrated that biochar is no longer an emerging concept but a practical solution solidifying into a functional market that is capable of simultaneously improving agricultural productivity, restoring degraded ecosystems, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, generating renewable energy, creating employment opportunities and attracting climate finance.

BEES (Bioenergy Events and Services), the organiser of the event,  deserves commendation for convening Bio360 Africa 2026 and providing an influential platform where science, innovation, policy and business converged to shape the future of Africa's circular economy. Keep attuned for next year’s event dates! We hope you will be part of the action!  

Get / use photos of the event here: https://www.bio360-africa.com/Page/1716

Presentations can be downloaded here: https://www.bio360-africa.com/Page/1720

By Erick Opiyo Abala

Head of Communications -CBEA