More than 2 500 households in a South African informal settlement are set to benefit from solar-powered street lighting and free public WiFi.

According to NPO GreenCape, it has signed an MoU with Think WiFi, which will see the installation of WiFi-enabled solar lighting in Witsand, an informal settlement in the Western Cape. GreenCape, which focuses on green-economy solutions, has a special unit that enables ‘the provision of energy services to unserviced and unserviceable communities’ on behalf of stakeholders.

Through the partnership with GreenCape, Think WiFi will deploy the light/WiFi stations around WiFi hotspots. ‘These solar lights, or lollipops as they are called, not only provide area lighting, they also enhance safety and security in the surrounding area,’ says Janine Rabelo, CEO of Think WiFi. She adds that in other areas where the company has already installed light/WiFi stations, the start-up and growth of micro-businesses has been recorded.

10 March 2020
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