Qandu Qandu informal settlement residents in Khayelitsha say they have feel duped by a project that pairs a solar energy company with the Umbane project led by professors at UCT and Exeter University.
Shack dwellers in Qandu Qandu informal settlement in Khayelitsha are unhappy and disillusioned by an empowerment initiative, the Umbane project, which is led by professors at the University of Cape Town and the University of Exeter. Qandu Qandu, established in 2018 has about 5,000 shacks today, and no formal electricity. Kyle Cookson, of Eskom, said this is because the majority of the settlement is on wetlands and therefore cannot be electrified.
The 31 women who signed up for the Umbane project had to buy solar-compatible fridges for R3,500, and pay R480 a month to run it. The women also believed they would get start up funding for their solar-powered refrigeration businesses.