A solar-powered community in the heart of South Africa’s coal country

‘Welcome to my community. This is Nomzamo,” says Siphesihle Magagula, one of five young people hired to bring solar power to his community. As he walks through the area, he points out house after house where he’s installed solar power. 

Together with his fellow Peco Champions, he’s electrified nearly the entire community. Siphesihle alone has sold starter solar kits to about half of Nomzamo’s 400 households. But this team of youngsters is selling more than just power to Nomzamo. They’re bringing dignity, safety and a glimpse of a different future. 

In this podcast episode, we get a glimpse into how one climate solution could deliver the very basic services that poorer South Africans were promised for generations. It raises a critical question about South Africa’s energy transition: How much justice in renewable energy is “just enough?” 

Nomzamo sits on the outskirts of Ermelo, a highly developed coal town of more than 150,000 people. Just over the horizon lies Camden Power Station, which is set to close in 2030. The town is surrounded by some of the largest coal mines in South Africa. Yet the roughly 2,000 residents – half of them children – have never had electricity, running water, or waste removal provided by the government.

Places like Nomzamo were left behind long before anyone started talking about moving away from coal. Siphesihle’s sister Ronell said: “This life of having no electricity, it’s nothing new. We all go through the struggle of not having sanitation, water and electricity. It’s part of life.”

Then came Peco Power, a Johannesburg-based company that developed robust, affordable and expandable solar kits. They were selected by GreenCape, a Cape Town nonprofit that sourced funding from the Danish, New Zealand and French embassies to bring a different model to deliver power to Nomzamo: community co-design.

The project hired five young people from the community and called them “Peco Champions”, training them to sell, install and maintain the solar units. For R80 per month, residents can rent-to-own a kit that includes a solar panel, an inverter, three lights and a USB charging port. 

But for some residents, the project revealed a painful gap between hope and reality. They were hoping to get more power to run appliances like fridges and televisions. 

Dr Tracy Ledger from the Public Affairs Research Institute in Johannesburg studies the Just Energy Transition, South Africa’s promise to make things fair as the country shifts from coal to cleaner power. She applauds GreenCape's community co-design approach, even as she recognises its limitations. She argues that as South Africa moves away from coal, the government should treat access to energy as a fundamental human need, like shelter or food. 

Siphesihle and his team have installed solar for everyone in Nomzamo who wants it. And although jobs in the renewable energy space will not replace all the jobs lost to coal mines closing, it’s introducing opportunities to young people who have a newfound hope for the future. 

Sfiso Hlatswayo says there’s only one word to describe Nomzamo now that their streets are lit by solar: “It’s beautiful. When there is no electricity around Ermelo, Nomzamo is the one with the light.” DM

Listen to Just Enough Light wherever you get your podcasts.