Cape Town

The absence of adequate public lighting in informal settlements creates a cycle of insecurity, exclusion, and lost opportunities. After sunset, darkness becomes a barrier, preventing residents from safely accessing essential services such as toilets and drinking water.

Vulnerable groups, particularly women, children, and LGBTQIA+ individuals, face heightened risks of gender-based violence, which frequently occurs in unlit spaces. The South African Government’s National Strategic Plan on Gender-Based Violence highlights the need for safer public spaces, yet informal settlements remain largely overlooked in lighting policies.

Beyond security concerns, unreliable electricity infrastructure further compounds the issue. Many settlements are either un-electrified or subject to frequent power outages, limiting economic activity. Entrepreneurs and small business owners are forced to close early due to safety concerns, restricting their ability to generate income. Residents who work outside their communities’ struggle with unsafe commutes, reducing access to employment opportunities.

Additionally, the reliance on coal-based energy grids conflicts with growing climate change imperatives. The demand for sustainable, off-grid solutions is critical. By integrating decentralized solar lighting, communities gain access to safer spaces, improved economic conditions, and resilient infrastructure that reduces dependence on fossil fuels—all while addressing the urgent need for security and dignity after dark.

LightUp aims to address public lighting disparities in South Africa’s informal settlements, improving safety, quality of life, and dignity, particularly for women who face a heightened risk of gender-based violence at night.

Inadequate lighting, combined with frequent blackouts and an unreliable coal-dependent energy network, leaves communities vulnerable. To counter this, LightUp implements renewable, wall-mounted solar lighting solutions tailored to the needs of informal settlements, providing a reliable and sustainable alternative.

A co-design approach involves residents in developing lighting solutions through a locally elected project steering committee. This participatory method enhances social impact, fosters ownership, and improves the longevity of the installations. The project emphasizes long-term sustainability by focusing on knowledge transfer and local capacity building. Youth from the settlements receive training and job opportunities to install and maintain solar lights, empowering the community and challenging traditional infrastructure models.

By demonstrating economic viability and scalability, LightUp advocates for the development of public lighting policies tailored to the specific needs of informal settlements, offering an alternative to ineffective high-mast lighting systems.

Since the installation of 768 lights in the first project at PJS Informal Settlement, life after dark has been transformed. Once unsafe and isolating, nights are now marked by greater security, social interaction, and access to essential services. Women report feeling empowered, able to recognize faces in the dark—an essential factor in deterring and reporting gender-based violence.

Where fear once kept residents indoors, they now safely access water and sanitation facilities, a previously unthinkable risk. The impact extends beyond safety. In settlements where these lighting projects have been implemented, power outages no longer plunge communities into total darkness. Residents now gather outside after sunset, reclaiming public spaces that were once avoided. Theft and vandalism have declined dramatically, driven by a strong sense of ownership and the durability of the vandal-resistant lighting design.

The effectiveness of these interventions has not gone unnoticed. In 2021, the City of Cape Town recognized the project’s success and initiated discussions to incorporate its principles into municipal strategies. As awareness of the impact spreads, interest continues to grow among organizations, policymakers, and community groups eager to implement similar initiatives in other informal settlements, both within South Africa and beyond. The model has become a reference point for sustainable, community-driven urban lighting solutions, demonstrating that small-scale interventions can drive systemic change.

In just 4.5 years, four projects have been successfully completed across six communities, leading to the installation of approximately 1,400 lights and directly improving the lives of over 13,300 people.

What began as a single intervention has evolved into a scalable, replicable approach that addresses both immediate safety concerns and long-term social and economic empowerment. Residents not only benefit from better-lit neighbourhoods but also gain hands-on training, equipping them with employable skills in electrical work and project management. This knowledge transfer fosters a sense of ownership and self-sufficiency, ensuring the sustainability of the installations. Meanwhile, community leaders emerge from the process with the experience and confidence to advocate for further improvements in their neighbourhoods.