Biogas and beyond: Otto Hager on building a green business with global reach
The SA Trade Desk Podcast – Episode 2
The green economy is opening up exciting new markets for South African businesses – and biogas is one area with real potential. As part of The SA Trade Desk’s ongoing profiling of South African participants in the Climate Finance Accelerator, we speak with Otto Hager, co-founder of Biovest Holdings, about the opportunities, challenges, and growth potential in the biogas economy.
Biovest Holdings has developed a scalable biogas system, which converts organic waste into clean energy – a departure from the large concrete digesters typically associated with the technology. Otto shares what it’s taken to get an innovative solution adopted locally, access funding, and build a commercially viable business.
About Biovest Holdings
Biovest Holdings is a South African biogas company that has developed HerbaGas™, a third-generation biomass-to-energy system. Co-founded by Otto Hager and Johan Botha, Biovest’s scalable design converts agricultural and organic waste into clean energy – moving beyond traditional large-scale biogas infrastructure to a system that can grow from small operations to full commercial scale. the technology extends beyond South Africa. Biovest’s business model has attracted interest from India, highlighting the potential for South African green businesses to develop solutions with international market relevance.
About The Climate Finance Accelerator
The Climate Finance Accelerator (CFA) is a global technical assistance programme funded by the United Kingdom to directly support climate innovators and entrepreneurs in becoming investment-ready. The CFA provides tailored, independent advice to help businesses align with investor requirements, prepare compelling investment documentation, navigate policy and regulatory considerations, and build relationships with potential financiers. The SA Trade Desk supports this work by giving CFA participants like Biovest visibility – through profiles, interviews, and features like this podcast series – helping connect investment-ready businesses with the investors, partners, and stakeholders who can help them scale.
Watch the episode
In this conversation, Otto unpacks what it takes to build a commercially viable biogas business in South Africa – and how that innovation is now finding investment and market opportunities on the international stage.
