Young Joburg Engineer Builds a Full 3-Bedroom Home From Soil and Waste in Just One Month

• A young engineer from Johannesburg has built a full three-bedroom home using soil and recycled waste in an effort to practically respond to housing shortages
• The Ennerdale pilot house blends earth materials with plastic waste and looks identical to neighbouring brick homes on the street
• The project comes as South Africa battles rising construction costs and millions of tonnes of waste piling up in landfills each year

A young man from Ennerdale in Johannesburg has turned soil and rubbish into a solid three-bedroom home, and he did it in less than a month.

On 10 February 2026, University of Cape Town MSc student Matimba Mabonda revealed that he and his team had completed a pilot house built mostly from earth and waste material.

Mabonda, who is completing his Master’s degree in chemical engineering, worked with his father, Ben, who is an experienced contractor. Together, they brought the idea to life.

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The goal was to tackle South Africa’s housing crisis and growing waste problem at the same time. The objective resulted in a full house with a kitchen, bathroom, living area and garage, built using natural soil mixed with plastic and glass waste.

According to a report by the University of Cape Town (UCT), South Africa produces about 122 million tonnes of waste every year. At the same time, thousands of families still wait for proper housing. Mabonda saw this gap and believed that waste could become a building solution. So he founded a start-up focused on turning landfill material into durable construction products.

From shack to solution

Mabonda grew up in a shack in Grasmere. He saw firsthand what it meant to live without proper insulation and space. That experience shaped his ambition. He wanted to build homes that are affordable, strong and kinder to the environment.

After finishing his undergraduate degree, he partnered with his father to test the concept. Mabonda explored earth-building methods. These techniques use carefully tested soil blends to create strong walls without relying heavily on cement.

Soil testing became a key part of the process. Different areas of the house required different soil ratios. The team analysed texture and strength before mixing in plastic waste to improve durability. More than 90% of the walls in the pilot house are made from earth materials combined with recycled waste.

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Inside the Ennerdale pilot house

The house stands among ordinary brick homes. From the street, no one can tell the difference. It has three bedrooms and all the features of a modern family home. It stays warm during winter and cool in summer.

Construction took less than a month. That shorter timeline meant lower labour costs. It also meant families can move in sooner.

A push to change construction

Mabonda is now in talks with certification bodies and research institutions to ensure the materials meet safety standards. Approval would allow the project to scale.

Construction is one of the biggest contributors to carbon emissions globally. Cement production alone accounts for a large share of industrial emissions.

See the UCT report here:

More articles on building homes

• Briefly News previously reported that a woman has gained admiration for her determination and hard work in building her own house from scratch without professional contractors.
• Mzansi woman went viral on TikTok for sharing that she is slowly building a house using only her social grant.
• A young woman shared a heartwarming video of her father building a stunning five-bedroom house for her mother.

Source: Briefly News