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South Africa: Shack Dwellers Look to Renewable Energy to Power Informal Settlements
GroundUp, 15 August 2023
A group of organisations have created successful small projects, but now they want to aim bigger Read more »
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South Africa: There's a Way to Sort Out Lighting in Informal Settlements
GroundUp, 23 June 2023
Solar powered public lights are better than high-mast lights, collaborative Cape Town project suggests Read more »
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South Africa: Paraffin - Destructive, Expensive but Essential
New Frame, 6 April 2022
As fuel prices continue to rise, so too does the price of paraffin. People who are most dependent on it, especially in shack settlements, have to pay more for that which kills… Read more »
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South Africa: Rolling Out Solar Power for Informal Settlements
GroundUp, 26 September 2022
Zonke Energy says there is an urgent need and demand outstrips supply Read more »
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South Africa: Student Teachers Share Ideas About Improving Informal Settlements in South Africa
The Conversation Africa, 14 September 2021
In South Africa, 25.6% of the population live in informal dwellings and the numbers increase annually. Informal dwellings are temporary structures built with materials such as… Read more »
South African Informal Settlements Turn to Renewable Energy
A group of organisations have created successful small projects, but now they want to aim bigger. Activist organisations have helped establish three community-owned renewable energy projects.
The Urban Movement Incubator: Energy Democracy Project, launched in 2021, brought together environmental organisations groundWork and Sustainable Energy Africa with Durban-based social movement Abahlali baseMjondolo, the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance, and the Vukani Environmental Movement in eMalahleni, Mpumalanga.
In its first year, the Energy Democracy Project focussed on raising awareness on renewable energy, says Siphesihle Mvundla, Energy Democracy Campaigner at groundWork. This included community meetings where people explained their problems with local officials about accessing electricity and rates.
Josh Dippenaar, of Cape Town based non-profit Sustainable Energy Africa said that although the solar units in the three communities demonstrated their value, reducing the effect of loadshedding and power outages, such rooftop solar installations are "not a scalable model for low-income communities".
