In a first for Africa, the CSIR and biotechnology company Sawubona Mycelium have produced 800 litres of liquid cultivated mushrooms called Enokitake for bio-based cosmetic products.  

The CSIR assisted Sawubona Mycelium, a small, medium and micro enterprise (SMME), to scale up the production of high-value products from the mycelium of Enokitake using liquid-cultivation method. The company is bringing the global mushroom ingredients mega-trend to South Africa with the help of the CSIR Biomanufacturing Industrial Development Centre (BIDC).