What Gjenge does

Gjenge Makers Limited is a Nairobi-based, founder-led social enterprise that converts mixed plastic waste (LDPE, HDPE, PP, PPR, and PS) combined with sand into load-rated construction paving blocks, tiles, and manhole covers. The company operates a single manufacturing facility on Butere Road in Nairobi using self-fabricated processing machinery designed in-house, producing a three-tier paver line (Light Duty at 100 N/mm², Medium Duty at 140 N/mm², Heavy Duty at 200 N/mm²) plus ancillary tiles and manhole covers in multiple colors. As of the most recent disclosures, the company reports having recycled over 200,000 kg of plastic and created 600 jobs across its collection network of women, youth organizations, and garbage collectors.

Gjenge generates revenue primarily through one-time direct sales of plastic pavers to residential, commercial, and government customers, with project pricing at approximately $7.70 per square metre. Distribution is executed via phone, WhatsApp, and on-site visits; enterprise and public-sector engagements (e.g., the Kenya Ministry of Transport's 564 sqm Jogoo Road installation in 2022) are managed through project-based field sales. The company is actively developing a second revenue stream — packaged sales of its self-fabricated machines alongside an online training platform — to enable technology transfer to aspiring operators in other African markets.

The business is structured as a private Kenyan limited company with a thin executive bench: founder Nzambi Matee, Chief Production Officer David Ouma, Chief Operating Officer Peter Kimani, and Board Advisor Rich Frankenheimer. Capitalization to date is limited to a $100,000 round from BESTSELLER Foundation (September 2020) and a non-cash engagement with ShelterTech (2019). The founder has publicly noted difficulty in raising patient capital for mass commercialization, indicating capital availability is a key constraint on scaling production and geographic reach.

Name

Gjenge

Legal name

Gjenge Makers Limited

Website

https://gjenge.co.ke

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Gjenge Makers is a Nairobi-based social enterprise that converts mixed plastic waste into load-rated paving blocks, tiles, and manhole covers using self-fabricated machinery, selling primarily to government, residential, and commercial customers across Kenya at roughly $7.70 per square metre.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainable Construction Materials

NAICS

Plastics Product Manufacturing (3261), Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing (326)

SIC

Plastics Products, Nec (3089), Concrete, Gypsum & Plaster Products (3270)

akta.pro primary industry

Pavers & Permeable Paving Blocks (Clay/Concrete) (IMADABAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Recycled Plastic Lumber & Construction Products (IMANAMAH)

Keywords

• Recycled plastic pavers
• Sustainable building materials
• Plastic waste recycling
• Construction paving blocks
• Circular economy construction

Headquarters

HQ city

Nairobi

HQ country

Kenya

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Plastic Paver Sales: Primary revenue stream from manufacturing and selling plastic paving blocks and tiles made from recycled plastic. Products are sold per square meter at approximately $7.70 per square meter. Includes installation services for some projects.
2. Machine Sales: The company plans to sell its self-fabricated plastic processing machines as part of a packaged solution alongside an online training platform, providing an additional revenue stream for technology transfer.
3. Training Platform: Gjenge is building an online platform to roll out training courses for individuals wanting to replicate their plastic recycling and paver manufacturing process, creating a future revenue stream.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Gjenge Makers manufactures and sells construction paving products made from recycled mixed plastic waste (LDPE, HDPE, PP, PPR, PS) combined with sand. The company produces three variants of plastic pavers (Light Duty, Medium Duty, Heavy Duty), plastic paving tiles, and plastic manhole covers, using self-fabricated processing machines. Products are sold per square meter (approximately $7.70/sqm) primarily to residential, commercial, and government clients in Kenya.

Product overview

Gjenge Makers is a social enterprise offering a portfolio of construction products manufactured from recycled plastics. The core product line consists of three variants of plastic paving pavers differentiated by load-bearing capacity and thickness: Light Duty (35–40 mm, up to 100 N/mm²) for residential compounds, Medium Duty (40–45 mm, up to 140 N/mm²) for commercial premises, and Heavy Duty (55–60 mm, up to 200 N/mm²) for roads and heavy machinery areas. The portfolio also includes plastic paving tiles and plastic manhole covers. All products are available in multiple color options (Aqua, Earthy, Ruby, Ocean, Ashy, Stony) and are positioned as sustainable, cost-effective alternatives to conventional concrete construction materials.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Gjenge Pavers Light Duty Light-duty plastic pavers, 35-40 mm thick, carrying loads up to 100 N/mm² (82 metric tonnes), designed for household compounds and residential walkways. Available in multiple color options (Aqua, Earthy, Ruby, Ocean, Ashy, Stony).
• Gjenge Pavers Medium Duty Medium-duty plastic pavers, 40-45 mm thick, carrying loads up to 140 N/mm² (115 metric tonnes), designed for commercial premises and parking areas. Available in multiple colors.
• Gjenge Pavers Heavy Duty Heavy-duty plastic pavers, 55-60 mm thick, carrying loads up to 200 N/mm² (164 metric tonnes), designed for roads and heavy machinery operation areas. Available in multiple colors.
• Plastic Manhole Covers Construction product made from recycled plastics, designed as a sustainable alternative to conventional concrete manhole covers.
• Plastic Paving Tiles Paving tiles manufactured from recycled plastics, serving as an alternative building material to conventional concrete or ceramic tiles.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5-7x stronger than concrete
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• UNEPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) appears as a partner logo on Gjenge's About page. The partnership aligns with UNEP's mission to support environmental innovation and circular economy solutions in Africa.
• Habitat for HumanitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHabitat for Humanity is listed as a partner on Gjenge's About page. The partnership likely involves collaboration on affordable and sustainable housing construction using recycled plastic building materials.
• Make ItminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMake It appears as a partner logo on Gjenge's About page. Nature of partnership not explicitly detailed in available sources.
• WatsonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWatson appears as a partner logo on Gjenge's About page. Nature of partnership not explicitly detailed in available sources.
• Gear BoxminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGear Box appears as a partner logo on Gjenge's About page. Nature of partnership not explicitly detailed in available sources.
• London DistillersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLondon Distillers appears as a partner logo on Gjenge's About page. Nature of partnership not explicitly detailed in available sources.
• Ministry of Transportation (Kenya)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Ministry of Transportation is listed as a partner with a completed installation project at Jogoo Road (2022), where 9 tonnes of plastic was repurposed into 564 square metres of paved space. This represents a major government infrastructure reference customer.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Plastixx: European recycler producing construction-grade plastic lumber and profiles from mixed marine and landfill plastics. Comparable in converting mixed plastic waste into durable construction products, though focused on profiles rather than pavers.
• Affresol: UK-based manufacturer of recycled-plastic construction products (e.g., Tuff Blocks) made from mixed plastic waste. Comparable in feedstock (mixed recycled plastics) and end products (construction components), though operating in a mature UK market.

Others

• Waste & Recycling Africa: Industry publication and ecosystem platform for Africa's recycling and waste-management sector. Relevant as a peer in the broader African plastics-recycling ecosystem in which Gjenge sources feedstock and competes for impact capital.

Broad incumbents

• Carbicrete: Canada-based company producing cement-free concrete using steel slag and captured CO₂. Targets the same sustainable construction-materials opportunity as Gjenge but through a different chemistry; competes for ESG-driven infrastructure procurement.
• CarbonCure Technologies: Canada-based company with installed concrete decarbonization technology used by major cement and concrete producers. An incumbent in the broader sustainable-concrete space; competes for ESG-driven procurement budgets but in conventional concrete rather than recycled plastic.

Direct peers

• PlasticRoad: Dutch startup producing modular road elements made from recycled plastics. Targets the same paving/infrastructure use case with recycled-plastic feedstocks and serves as a competing approach to Gjenge's paver model.
• Conceptos Plásticos: Colombia-based social enterprise that converts plastic waste into construction blocks and roofing tiles for affordable housing. Closest analog to Gjenge in mission, product format (recycled-plastic building components), and emerging-market social-enterprise model.
• ByFusion: US-based company producing recycled-plastic building blocks (ByBlock) from mixed plastic waste using proprietary, non-chemical processing. Directly comparable product technology and sustainability narrative, though operating in a different geography.
• Kubik: Kenya-based startup turning plastic waste into low-cost building materials (bricks and roofing). Direct domestic peer with the same mission, plastic-to-construction technology, and African emerging-market operating context as Gjenge.

Regional players

• EcoAct Africa: Pan-African sustainability and recycling initiative addressing plastic waste and circular economy. Adjacent in mission and African operating footprint, though focused on waste-management services rather than finished construction products.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/gjenge_makers
• Facebookfacebook.com/gjengemakers
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gjengemakersltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Gjenge