Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2018.ENGLISH SUMMARY: Sugarcane bagasse and harvesting residues collected from different sugars mills across South Africa were evaluated for potential use in a biorefinery for ethanol, lactic acid and electricity co-production after pretreatment using dilute sulphuric acid as catalyst. On a dry mass basis, sugarcane bagasse consisted of 38% glucan, 15% arabinoxylan, 27% lignin, 7% extractives, 9% acetyl groups and 3% ash. By comparison, harvesting residues consisted of 33% glucan, 17.5% arabinoxylan, 20% lignin, 16% extractives, 5 % acetyl groups and 9% ash. Following pre-screening experiments to appraise the differences between the responses of the two feedstocks, a central composite, rotatable desi...