Our Story
At Chanzi, we use Black Soldier Fly Larvae to convert food waste into nutritious protein for animal feed. Founder and COO Sune Mushendwa, an architect by profession, began experimenting with these insects 4 years ago. He set out with the goal of finding a sustainable protein for animal feed which would reduce the industry’s over dependence on environmentally ruinous fish and soya bean meal. Through iterations and meticulous data collection he developed innovative and efficient methods for breeding, growing and harvesting BSF.
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In 2019 he was joined by CEO Andrew Wallace who came with 10 years’ experience running companies of different sizes in East Africa and was driven by the desire to find a profitable method of sustainably managing the escalating waste problem in his home country of Tanzania. Andrew vowed to take Sune’s production techniques to a commercial scale and replicate them throughout Tanzania and the surrounding countries. Chanzi have since made significant additions to the management team in the form of Engineering and Entomological expertise, expanded operations at the pilot site and recently constructed another full sized facility in Arusha.
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"We have construction projects up and running for sites in Kenya and Zanzibar and are now at the stage where we want to take our profitable and functioning model to other areas in East Africa with similar organic waste management problems."
Meet The Team
Andrew Wallace
CEO & Co-Founder
My personal dream is to sustainably manage 100% of organic waste produced in urban and semi-urban areas in East Africa. In Chanzi, I've found a profitable mechanism of doing this at scale.
Sune Mushendwa
COO & Founder
When no more fish end up in animal feed and no more organic waste ends up in landfills, we'll have reached our goal. Until then, we have a mission to accomplish and a business opportunity to take advantage of.​
Mayasa Mhina
Arusha Site Manager
With more than 20 years of experience in statistics, Mayasa strives to maximise the valorisation of organic waste at Chanzi. She believes converting waste into protein for animals and organic fertiliser can transform waste management across East Africa.
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Mika Mavanza
Arusha Production Manager
Nicko B. Nyamanga
Dar Site Manager
With a background in Business Analytics, Nicko is excited by the challenge of making sustainability ventures financially sustainable.
![DSC_4520[3267]qq.jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/513a87_94119007426645469b09d2295273fb46~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_47,h_53,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/DSC_4520%5B3267%5Dqq.jpg)
Amir Amir
Dar Production Manager
Mwangi Murigi
Nairobi Site Manager
Mwangi, a chemical and process engineer by profession, brings over 7 years of expertise in the animal feed industry. He's driven by a fervor for sustainable waste management, harnessing the potential of insects, with over 4 years leading insect farming operations. An advocate of the circular economy.
Benson Ominde
Nairobi Production Manager
Mika, a seasoned agronomist with a bachelor's degree, excels in the role of a production manager.
A skilled horticulturist with bachelor’s degree in applied horticulture.
He joins the newly established Dar es salaam Facility as a Production Manager following a successful internship at the Chanzi Njiro Facility
GIS/GPS specialist, a seasoned farmer with 3 years of expertise in BSF production, a distinguished fashion and runway model.A man of many hats, he brings his artistic talents and leadership skills to our endeavors
Moses Velaphi
Muli Winnie
Production Technical Support
Data Analyst
Moses, a seasoned expert in BSF breeding and rearing, stands out for his ability to offer solutions and support that streamline production operations across all Chanzi sites. His extensive knowledge and proficiency in Black Soldier Fly breeding and rearing methods have consistently enhanced efficiency and productivity across multiple facilities.
With a background in fintech and telecoms, I thrive on using technology to create meaningful solutions. Let's embark on a journey to harness the power of tech for positive change!
Aziza Konyo
R&D Laboratory Manager
Aziza, an experienced environmental scientist, is nearing completion of her PhD research on Valorisation of Sisal waste using the black soldier fly. In our R&D department, she's leading experiments related to BSF substrates, attractants, growth rates, and pest control.
Hawa Majid
Ass. R&D Manager
An experienced animal scientist with a bachelor's degree in animal science.
Hawa has been pivotal in leading and managing experiments and the production process in close partnership with Jon Trimarco.
Dr Stefan Heinke
Sustainability Advisor
A fierce advocate for sustainable business and has worked as sustainability director for one of the worlds’ largest companies. He joined Chanzi on account of it being one of the few business models which ticks the vast majority of SDG’s.
Prof Norbert Mencke
Chief Veterinary Advisor
One of the worlds’ leading parasitologists and experts in Animal health and nutrition. Norbert assists Jon with Chanzi’s R&D department and leads experiments into the physical and environmental benefits of incorporating BSF into livestock diets.
Jon Trimarco
R&D Advisor
Global warming is the single biggest challenge facing humanity. On any given day, Chanzi is taking approximately 135KG of methane, the equivalent of 9.4 metric tons of CO2 out of the atmosphere and converting it into protien and soil amendments
Daniel Mshana
Mechanical Engineer
Danny's focus lies in harnessing his engineering expertise to meticulously craft cutting-edge systems and machinery solutions. By synergizing innovative design with sustainable practices, his mission is to pave the way towards a greener, waste-reduced future.
Kamalpal Jandu
Engineering Lead
I believe we have a duty to make sure the businesses we engage in do not negatively affect our land, seas and skies for future generations. Chanzi's concept is very much in keeping with the UN's Sustainable Development Goals
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Our Geographical
Footprints
Chanzi has been growing rapidly, having established four sites as of today, located in Arusha, Dar es salaam, Zanzibar, and Nairobi.
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