WINDHOEK – Kavango Block Brick, the innovative house building solution patented in Namibia, has received a massive financial injection from AngelHub, a South African-based institution that provides social financing to start up companies with innovative ideas.
The funding of between N$1 million and N$10 million is specifically aimed at speeding up the operations of Kavango Block Brick and to help the company reach the full commercial stage of manufacturing of its patented building materials.

Kavango Block Brick has been struggling to fully commercialise its operations in Namibia, despite the varied and serious interest from other African countries. AngelHub said its investment in Kavango Block Brick would enable the Namibian-developed technology to address the continent-wide challenge of affordable housing.

“Kavango Block Brick technology dramatically improves the homebuilding process in terms of ease of installation, reduced costs and time. Add its patent protection and certification and you have an inherently scalable business by licensing the technology, which will always be attractive to investors,” says AngelHub’s Brett Commaille.

Kavango Block Brick has patented a unique block brick design that allows for easy assembly by low-skilled workers. Each block is fitted with a tongue and lip, enabling the blocks to efficiently interlock, which are then stacked to form isometric wall systems. Two apertures are provided to allow for plumbing and electrical fittings, which means that no chasing need take place in the structure, maintaining the integrity of the building.

Only the most basic tools, such as hammers and trowels, are required for assembly.
Namibian Heinrich Schroeder, who is the founding member of the company, designed the Kavango Block Brick system as a means of providing affordable, dignified housing to poor communities across the continent.

Paul Solomon of the Cape Peninsula University of Technology in South Africa said the Kavango Block Brick has an innovative design that allows for rapid, safe home construction. “Building a house is as easy as snapping blocks together like puzzle pieces. The resulting structure is sturdy, efficient and affordable,” Solomon added.