Co-developing evidence-based policy learning for supporting energy services delivery in South Africa’s informal settlements
Status: Active
Funders: Research England’s Policy Support Fund (PSF) and Policy@Exeter initiative
Status: Active
Funders: Research England’s Policy Support Fund (PSF) and Policy@Exeter initiative
This project establishes a robust platform for collaboration around evidence-based policymaking to support the provision of energy services in South Africa's informal settlements.
The project team incorporates existing research, knowledge exchange and experiential learning into the policy process through working with an informal settlement community as a ‘policy learning’ site. This is an innovative approach targeting policymakers’ needs through the co-development of policy recommendations to enhance and drive transformative change.
The project team incorporates existing research, knowledge exchange and experiential learning into the policy process through working with an informal settlement community as a ‘policy learning’ site. This is an innovative approach targeting policymakers’ needs through the co-development of policy recommendations to enhance and drive transformative change.
Aerial view of Qando Qando, Cape Town
Preliminary interviews with policymakers in Cape Town in early 2022 indicated methods to gather qualitative and quantitative data on energy practices and energy needs informal settlements were limited due to the diversity and breadth of energy practices and sources across a range of urban settings.
At present, Cape Town has informal areas that are not (or only partially) served by the grid: this generates inequalities between low-income formal areas, and low-income informal areas, especially where state benefits and services are not given equitably due to residents’ informal and/or illegal status. Measuring and understanding energy practices and needs across a diversity of formal-informal settings can offer opportunities for providing locally relevant and sustainable energy services.
Opportunities exist around mitigating inequalities through investigating alternatives such as energy purchase vouchers for alternative energy sources. This requires data on e.g. energy stacking, seasonality, feasibility of alternatives, and how this influences energy access and use. Gathering this kind of data often requires data to be to be sourced at the community level, offering links with private sector stakeholders who deliver solar power-based energy alternatives.
At present, Cape Town has informal areas that are not (or only partially) served by the grid: this generates inequalities between low-income formal areas, and low-income informal areas, especially where state benefits and services are not given equitably due to residents’ informal and/or illegal status. Measuring and understanding energy practices and needs across a diversity of formal-informal settings can offer opportunities for providing locally relevant and sustainable energy services.
Opportunities exist around mitigating inequalities through investigating alternatives such as energy purchase vouchers for alternative energy sources. This requires data on e.g. energy stacking, seasonality, feasibility of alternatives, and how this influences energy access and use. Gathering this kind of data often requires data to be to be sourced at the community level, offering links with private sector stakeholders who deliver solar power-based energy alternatives.
Qando Qando residents, Cape Town
OUTCOMES/OUTPUTS
- Research network of UK and South African policymakers and practitioners working on the provision of energy in informal settlements.
- Two transdisciplinary workshops to be hosted in London (UK) and Cape Town (SA) in March 2022.
- Policy brief outlining policy learnings to support decision-making in informal settlements.
- Vignette detailing high-level findings for implementing energy services in informal settings.
- Virtual site visit of Qando Qando, Cape Town.
- Research network of UK and South African policymakers and practitioners working on the provision of energy in informal settlements.
- Two transdisciplinary workshops to be hosted in London (UK) and Cape Town (SA) in March 2022.
- Policy brief outlining policy learnings to support decision-making in informal settlements.
- Vignette detailing high-level findings for implementing energy services in informal settings.
- Virtual site visit of Qando Qando, Cape Town.
PROJECT TEAM
ACADEMIA
United Kingdom
Federico Caprotti
Federico Caprotti is the project lead. Based at the University of Exeter, he is an urban geographer with a central interest in researching urban futures. Federico also led (2016-19) an ESRC Urban Transformations project on energy transitions in South African municipalities. He also led the international 2015-19 Smart Eco-Cities for a Green Economy (SMART-ECO), funded by the ESRC, China's NSFC, and the national research funding agencies of France, Germany, and the Netherlands. |
Kerry Bobbins
Kerry Bobbins has worked on developing knowledge on sustainable urban infrastructure at the academia-policy interface for the last 9 years. During this time, she has worked closely with a range of government, private sector and civil society stakeholders in South Africa and the United Kingdom to produce academically relevant policy outputs on water, sanitation and energy. Kerry is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow on the Umbane project, where she works closely with the core research team to gather and analyse data and co-develop academic policy outputs. |
South Africa
Jiska de Groot
Jiska de Groot manages the South Africa project team. As an energy and development geographer working as Senior Researcher at the African Climate and Development Initiative (ACDI), University of Cape Town, she works on the human dimensions of sustainable energy access, energy poverty, gender and capacity building. She has a strong focus on co-designed and participatory research that is policy- and practice-relevant for achieving local development benefits and change processes. |
Mascha Moorlach
Mascha Moorlach works the University of Cape Town. On the project, she is at the interface between engineering and social science approaches to energy and wellbeing, and is responsible for contracting. She holds an MSc in Building Systems from Eindhoven University of Technology, and works on energy efficiency projects in support of the Eskom Demand Side Management Programme and the Skills and Expertise Development programme as part of the Transforming Energy Access project. |
Whitney Pailman
Whitney Pailman is currently a PhD Candidate in Energy and Development at the University of Cape Town (UCT). She holds a Masters in Energy and Development from UCT and a Bachelor of Engineering in Civil Engineering from the University of Johannesburg. She combines research and project experience in off-grid energy access business models, social enterprises and the gender-energy nexus in Sub-Saharan Africa. She is a Research Fellow for the Umbane project, working on research design, data collection and research outputs. She has also served as a Research Fellow for the Transforming Energy Access Learning Partnership at the ACDI. |
PRIVATE SECTOR
Hendrik Schloemann
Hendrik Schloemann is a geologist and entrepreneur with more than twenty years of operational and corporate experience in Africa, South America and the United Kingdom. Coming from the mining sector and driven by the potential that renewable energies hold for Africa, he recently re-directed his focus to this sector. His ambition is to prove a model for a micro-utility company that utilises renewable energies to service off-grid communities with electricity. He is the founder of Zonke Energy and growing this social enterprise presently is his main focus. |
Alex Densmore
Alex Densmore is technical director at Zonke Energy, with a decade of experience in off-grid energy. At Simpa Energy India, he led development of pay-as-you-go metering systems. Alex has worked as a consultant and volunteer for universities and manufacturers at the intersection of health, ICT and energy. He holds a Masters degree in power-electronics from the University of Cape Town and a Bachelor's in mechanical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. |
Kimenthrie Pillay
Kimenthrie Pillay is a sustainable energy consultant and founder of Thrie Energy Collective: she is responsible for app-based wellbeing data collection and our baseline survey. Thrie Energy Collective works to apply digital methods to enrich energy and development practices. Prior to founding Thrie Energy Collective, Kimenthrie worked on improving and diversifying low-income energy service delivery in the Energy and Climate Change Unit at the City of Cape Town. |
CIVIL SOCIETY
Ellen Fischat
Founder of Story Room. She holds an Honour’s Degree in Social Work and Community Development, as well as a number of small business and technology certificates. Ellen has extensive experience in small business development, with a focus on social enterprises and technology. She mentors technology start-ups and designs community outreach programs that focus on personal development, digital literacy, and increasing employability of marginalized women through STEM initiatives. |
Siseko Siwali
Siseko is a serial entrepreneur and strategist with multiple years of entrepreneurship in the media industry, helping entrepreneurs and brands produce company, brand, and marketing concepts strategies. He has 13 years of experience in various aspects of Sales, Management, and Leadership. |
GET IN TOUCH
Contact:
Prof. Federico Caprotti, Co-principal investigator, United Kingdom, [email protected].
Dr Kerry Bobbins, Co-principal investigator, United Kingdom, [email protected].
Follow:
Prof. Federico Caprotti, Co-principal investigator, United Kingdom, [email protected].
Dr Kerry Bobbins, Co-principal investigator, United Kingdom, [email protected].
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