KEY POINTS
• Twenty households in Lephalale received solar cookers and hands on training
• Project aims to reduce firewood use, energy costs and safety risks for women
• Initiative forms part of a broader just transition programme in South Africa
Earthlife Africa JHB director Makoma Lekalakala has expanded the organisation’s solar cooker rollout to rural communities in Limpopo, bringing clean energy solutions to households in Lephalale.
The environmental justice group visited Mothlasedi on February 3 and Shongoane Bangalong on February 4. The aim was simple. Deliver affordable solar cookers to families facing energy poverty.
Twenty households received the cookers. Each family also took part in practical training on assembly, use and maintenance. The project was carried out with local partners Ithuteng Community Organisation and Bopanang Women’s Organisation.
Women lead clean cooking transition
Lekalakala said the initiative goes beyond technology. She said it places women at the centre of climate solutions.
“This solar innovation reduces the need to spend time collecting firewood and also means that women are less exposed to the associated risks,” she said.
In many rural areas, women and girls gather wood for cooking. The task often exposes them to danger. It also contributes to deforestation and indoor air pollution.
Lekalakala said the rollout shows what a just transition can look like when communities lead the process. Women gathered early in the morning to assemble their own cookers. The atmosphere was collaborative and practical.
“The process is as important as the technology itself,” she added.
Clean energy for rural households
Senior Programmes Officer Thabo Sibeko said Limpopo has abundant sunlight. He said communities should benefit from renewable energy that is already available to them.
“This is what we mean by a just transition,” Sibeko said. “Solar cooking reduces household electricity costs, lowers carbon emissions and improves health and safety outcomes.”
The Lephalale rollout forms part of a wider programme launched in October 2025. The first batch of solar cookers was distributed in Tshikuwi Village in Venda with support from the Mulambwane Women’s League.
Earthlife Africa says the goal is to ensure that South Africa’s move toward a low carbon future is fair and inclusive.
Residents welcome life changing support
Community members said the impact will be immediate. Emmy Modise from Shongoane Bangalong Village said the cookers will reduce electricity costs and protect women from harm.
“They protect us from the dangers of going out to collect firewood, where we risk being attacked, killed or raped,” she said. She added that electricity remains too expensive for many families.
Phillimon Ngwako said the project will especially help elderly women who struggle to gather wood. “These solar cookers are life changing for our community,” he said.
Mme Motebele from Mothlasedi Village echoed that view. She said collecting wood often exposes women to attacks and other dangers.
James Molatoa said solar energy saves time and physical strain for older residents.
The expansion in Limpopo signals a growing push for community driven renewable energy solutions that address both climate change and daily survival challenges in rural South Africa.
