Presentation by John Notoane of OneWorld at the CHOICES project community energy workshops in Somerset East, Pearston and Cookhouse communities, Blue Crane Route Municipality in South Africa’s Eastern Cape, held in February and March 2013. The presentation covers the results of a community energy survey carried out in the Blue Crane Route Municipality. More information about OneWorld: http://www.oneworldgroup.co.za/ Further details of the CHOICES project: http://www.iied.org/choices-community-energy-project-south-africa

1. Funded by “Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency
Partnership “(REEEP)
27th February 2013
CHOICES SA - Energy Access for Improved
Rural Livelihoods in the Blue Crane Route
Municipality (BCRM)
Feedback from the BCRM energy survey

2. A key stakeholder in
the BRM and key
supporter of the
CHOICES-SA Project.
Mayor: Majorie
Nontutuzelo Scott
catalyse long term support from key stakeholders,
notably the municipality and investors .
build capacity of communities to understand
sustainable energy markets and attract investment.
explore and promote the feasibility
of community driven energy
service delivery.
Mr. Sisa Njikelana:
Chairperson of PCE in RSA
Parliament
… “energy access for rural
communities is a priority of
Energy Portfolio Committee”

3. A recent quotation on energy access . . .
 In Africa today 800m people do NOT have
access to electricity – this number will
increase to 1.1 billion people in the next
decade [NEPAD]
 SA needs to find a balance between energy
access and affordability
Christoph Frei: World Energy
Council Secretary General.
Talking at the Africa Energy
Indaba, Sandton RSA.

4.  Assess the relative importance of energy services with
respect to other community issues;
 Determine the community energy needs;
 Determine the current community energy use;
 Determine key perceptions relevant to current use and
possible energy access from local energy source
(renewable energy)
 Build capacity and social infrastructure to facilitate the
Project into the future.
. . . It is critical for
the BCRM to have
credible baseline
information for
planning purposes
. . .
John Notoane
energy survey objectives. . .

5. Introducing Choices-SA to SE

6. BCRM Energy Survey Process . . .
 survey questionnaire design process.
 do not re-invent the wheel.
 consultation with local & international experts
 language considerations; English/Afrikaans/Xhosa
 sampling of target households for survey
 urban/peri-urban/rural; grid/off-grid
 survey questionnaire implementation process
 use locals to conduct survey
 data capturing done locally too
 ward committees, PSC part of survey process

7. THANK YOU
TO THE CHAMPIONS FOR
CONDUCTING THE ENERGY SURVEY
IN THE BCRM
. . .
PSC Chair: Cllr. Mali
energy survey champions

8. CHOICES-SA
Participatory Energy Survey Implementation Structure
Project Steering
Committee
Councillor:
Somerset East
Councillor: Pearston
Councillor:
Cookhouse
Project Energy Survey
Coordinator
Survey Coordinator:
Pearston
Survey Coordinator:
Somerset East
Survey Coordinator:
Cookhouse
Interviewers Interviewers Interviewers
OneWorldProjectTeamSupport
Blue Crane Development Agency – Survey Office Facilities
Agricultural
Associations

9. Energy Surveys Target Samples
% of Population No-grid Access
Sample Size
Grid Access
Sample Size
Number of
interviewers
Somerset
East
47.4% 109 158
13-8
Pearston 11.5% 26 38
4-6
Cookhouse 14.8% 34 49
4-8
Rural 26.3% 60 88
7-8
Total 100% 230 334
28- 26
Total Sample 564

10. Cllr. Manxoweni – “it is
important for the Choices
-SA Project NOT to create
wrong expectations in the
communities”
Key messages from the energy survey
 88% of households have 1 or 2 children at
school – impact of energy access on education;
72% oh households use electricity for lighting,
and these costs keep going up!
 The energy economy is cash based, no credit is
used (or available);
 About 56% of respondents have cell phones –
important to enable communication.

11. Key messages from the energy survey
 where electricity is used, all other fuels are abandoned – why?
How best does the BCRM promote energy mixing?
 87% of households have income =< R2500. What portion is
spent on energy and why? Increasing access has to be
incremental to be sustainable.
 FBE lasts for 4 weeks in 7% of households! What makes this
possible? How do we improve on this?
 62% uses electricity for cooking & but 25% for space heating;
64% prefer firewood for space heating – health/cost?
 of all sampled households, 62% of energy purchase and use
decisions are made by women;

12. Pearston Ward discussion on Choices-SA

13. A good place to start . . .
With our current socio economic profile of the
BCRM household, we need to find ways to be more
efficient with our energy uses, look closely at more
renewable forms of energy AND find the best mix of
energy options that will stretch resources currently
spent on energy access.

14. THANK YOU!