Intervention Brief

The Alternative Service Delivery Unit (ASDU), implemented by GreenCape, is seeking technical partners to provide off-grid energy services to the Nomzamo Agricultural Village in Mpumalanga, South Africa. Based on a September 2023 enumeration of 2,097 people across 681 households, the community lacks formal electricity, water, and sanitation. Residents currently rely on wood, coal, and candles, spending up to R300 per month on lighting and R1,100 on cooking fuel. The community's primary energy priorities are efficient cooking fuel, home-level electricity for lighting and charging, and refrigeration to reduce food costs. Residents expressed a willingness to pay up to R350 per month, preferably via a pay-as-you-go model. The project is scheduled to begin in February 2024, with the Community Organisation Resource Centre (CORC) serving as social service partners.

• Nomzamo Agricultural Village is a settlement of 2,097 people (including 958 children) across 681 households with no formal municipal service delivery for electricity, water, sanitation, or waste management. The community faces a high unemployment rate of nearly 56%, and 89% of households earn less than R3,500 per month.
• Current energy expenditures are high due to reliance on low-quality fuels; households spend an average of R1,100 per month on cooking fuel (wood and coal) and up to R300 per month on lighting (candles). The lack of refrigeration increases food costs as residents cannot buy perishables in bulk.
• Through a co-design process, the community identified three urgent energy priorities: cost-effective cooking fuel, home-level electricity for lights and small appliances, and refrigeration (either at the home or community level for facilities like a butchery). Secondary needs include public area lighting for safety, skills development, and internet connectivity.
• Residents are willing to pay up to R350 per month for reliable services, with a strong preference for pay-as-you-go models rather than fixed monthly costs. The most valued appliances for power are fridges, televisions, lights, and cellphone chargers.

APA

GreenCape (n.d.). Intervention Brief. https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/ASDU-Nomzamo-Intervention-brief.pdf

Chicago

GreenCape. Intervention Brief. n.d. https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/ASDU-Nomzamo-Intervention-brief.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=GreenCape |title=Intervention Brief |url=https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/ASDU-Nomzamo-Intervention-brief.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{greencapendintervention, author = {{GreenCape}}, title = {{Intervention Brief}}, institution = {GreenCape}, url = {https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/ASDU-Nomzamo-Intervention-brief.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }