A group  of civil engineering academics and hemp experts have produced a prototype brick that is sustainable and carbon negative.

A collaboration between Canna-B-Africa, which drives research and development into hemp-based products, and academics from the University of  Johannesburg’s  (UJ) Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, the prototype hemp brick is a product of years of research.

‘Its benefits go well beyond sustainability,’ says Brenton Abrahams, the founder of Canna-B-Africa and a UJ senior research associate and adviser to the university’s Hemp Research and Technical Station.

‘The brick offers excellent thermal efficiency, with a porous structure that naturally regulates temperature and humidity, reducing the need for artificial heating and cooling,’ he says.

The brick is made using the woody core of the hemp plant, which is combined with a natural lime-based binder.

Jeffrey Mahachi, director of Sustainable Materials and Construction Technology at UJ, says the second-generation prototype is undergoing full testing, validation and certification.

‘Our objective is to bring a credible, certified product to market that meets national building requirements while delivering on its sustainability promise,’ he says.

17 March 2026
Image: Freepik