The energy sector is an essential part of a country’s economy – it drives innovation and advances in industrialisation. Coal is the primary source of energy in South Africa. Coal contributes 95% of energy production; coal-fired power also contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, and is thus a hazard to human health and the environment. This calls for an energy mix that is renewable, sustainable, and affordable and that is carbon neutral (climate action). We investigated the potential of anaerobic mono-and co-digestion of goat manure, chicken manure, potato peels, maize pap, and cow manure inoculum for mesophilic recovery of renewable energy using the biomethane potential test. The substrates were characterised through proximate and ultimate analyses to determine the composition preferable for mono- and co-digestion. The key considerations in the determination of both the yield and production rate of methane from digestion of biomass are the substrate composition and characterisation. A high percentage of volatile solids favoured optimum biomethane production as highly volatile components provide microbes with balanced nutrients that enhance metabolic processes to produce biomethane. The mono-digestion process produced lower biomethane than did co-digestion. Higher production of biomethane by co-digestion was due to the balance of the micronutrients and macronutrients that favoured microbial metabolism and regulation of pH.

Human well-being and ecological reliability continue to face a major threat resulting from heavy metal pollution to soils caused by untreated discharge from metropolitan and industrial wastewater. The potential human health risks of zinc (Zn), copper (Cu) and iron (Fe) contamination to native inhabitants through the food chain were assessed in Pinetown, Durban, where their irrigation processes are from the Umgeni River passing through the highly industrialised Pinetown area. River water, vegetables (cabbage and lettuce) and soil were analysed for Zn, Cu and Fe; transfer factor, health risk index and the daily intake of metals were also calculated. The concentrations of heavy metals indicated the pattern trend as Fe>Zn>Cu for both cabbage and lettuce. The levels of transfer factors for heavy metals ranged from 0.02 mg/kg to 1.89 mg/kg. The health risk index (0.0002–01430) was found to be within the recommended range (<1), which poses no human health risk with respect to all heavy metals tested

The coastal regions of Africa are endowed with indigenous wild fruit plants rich in nutritional and medicinal phytochemicals and micronutrients. South African wild fruit plants complement the diet and health needs of rural poor households by providing vital dietary nutrients and remedies for various health concerns, and alleviating food insecurity. Milk plum, Natal plum, wild custard apple, and wild medlar medicinal plants are found mainly in the coastal provinces of South Africa. Studies have established that these plants are good sources of vitamins, essential elements, and bioactive phytocompounds such as flavonoids, phenolic acids, and terpenoids, which demonstrate significant antioxidant, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activities. The plants studied possess anti-epileptic, antiplasmodial, and snake antivenom qualities. Here we highlight the views of different reports on ethnopharmacological relevance, phytochemistry, and bioactivity of the selected South African indigenous medicinal plants. We found a research gap in the phytochemical composition and phytopharmacological activity evaluation of Carissa macrocarpa and Englerophytum magalismontanum.