South Africans want solar power but worry panels will be stolen: study

By Uzia Mutumbi, Gladman Thondhlana and Shunesu Ruwanza

South Africa would seem to be the most suitable place for widespread use of solar energy.

The country is sunny, with high solar energy production capacity. Solar is a clean, reliable source of energy that can help people reduce their dependence on polluting fuels like paraffin and diesel. Switching to solar power also cuts electricity bills, which have more than doubled in the last 10 years.

Yet solar power makes up less than 10% of the country's energy mix. About 74% of South Africa's electricity still comes from burning coal. Most homes use electricity provided by coal-fired power stations. For poor families, paraffin and wood are still the main sources of energy for lighting and cooking.

We are environmental scientists who focus on sustainable energy and household energy consumption. We wanted to find out what prevents households from adopting solar energy in one of the poorest provinces in South Africa. Our research included both high-income and low-income families.

We interviewed people from 49 high-income and 94 low-income households in major cities in the Eastern Cape. We defined high-income households as those with a monthly income of more than R30,000. The majority of low-income households we interviewed (65%) did not receive any salary and were dependent on social grants (benefits) from the government. These range from just R370 to R2,400 per month.

The unemployment rate in this province is 42.5% and 65% of households receive at least one grant.

We focused on households in the coastal metropolitan cities of Gkebarha and Kugompo town and two medium-sized inland towns, Makhanda and Komani. This was so we could find out whether people were being deterred from installing solar power due to high humidity and high corrosion levels on the coast and high temperatures and dusty environments inland. (These conditions have been identified as preventable in other studies.)

Our findings show that almost all households had a similar fear: They worried that solar panels might be stolen. However, this fear did not affect everyone equally

Our research found that, overall, most households across income groups are hesitant to install solar panels. Although they mentioned many concerns – including financial, technical and institutional – one major reason stood out: fear of theft and damage.

South Africa is one of the most unequal countries in the world, with the highest crime rate of burglary.

Based on our findings we make several recommendations. For low-income areas, we recommend that the government should consider installing communal solar mini-grids. These can be guarded by security officers. In high-income areas, anti-theft fasteners and security lighting systems, such as floodlights linked to motion sensors, can help prevent theft of solar panels.

What's stopping people from going solar?

We asked families if they had ever thought about using solar panels at home, and what they saw as the main benefits and risks of doing so. We also asked about the challenges they faced, such as cost, technical issues and government support. We also collected basic background information about them, such as their age, income and household details.

After experiencing power cuts scheduled by a national power utility (also known as load-shedding), nearly 90% of respondents said they would choose solar panels to avoid future power cuts. 2007 to 2023.

More than 80% of high-income households said they would consider switching to solar energy. Only 63% of low-income families said they would consider it.

A large share of higher-income households (86%) said cost was the main barrier to switching. For low-income families the number was 58%. Additionally, low-income households said they would be unlikely to purchase the system due to high maintenance costs (battery replacement, inverter repair or replacement, panel damage or replacement, and technician costs).

Nearly a third of those interviewed in both groups said solar home systems were unreliable during dusty, wet and adverse weather conditions.

But Our findings show Almost all households had a similar fear: They worried that solar panels might be stolen. However, this fear did not affect everyone equally. Wealthier households (60%) were more concerned about theft than lower-income households (52%), possibly because theft has been rare among lower-income households that received government-provided solar water geysers.

A promising solution could be solar mini-grids – shared solar systems installed at a central location within a community. Instead of each home installing its own panels, multiple homes connect to a single system and share the electricity it produces.

For wealthy families, solar panels are seen as valuable assets. Many people live in more isolated properties and are more aware of the risks of crime. As a result, the possibility of theft becomes a serious concern, even for those who can afford the technology.

For low-income families, the stakes are even higher. Solar energy is often seen as a way to meet basic needs like lighting, cooking and charging phones. If a system is stolen or damaged, it may be impossible to replace. Due to this, even small risks seem heavy and discourage them from adopting it.

This highlights the need for solutions that are sensitive to these differences.

mini grid solution

A promising solution could be solar mini grid – Shared solar system installed at a central location within a community. Instead of each home installing its own panels, multiple homes connect to a single system and share the electricity it produces.

in somalia, zambia And NigeriaMini-grids have proven effective in providing electricity to communities, especially where expanding the national grid would be too expensive.

The mini-grid approach solves several challenges at once:

• First, mini-grids improve security. It is easier to protect a single, centralized system than multiple individual roofing installations. This reduces the risk of theft and increases user confidence.
• Second, mini-grids reduce costs. Solar panels, batteries, and installation can be expensive. By sharing the system, families split these costs, making solar energy more affordable, especially for low-income communities.
• Third, mini-grids solve space constraints. Many homes lack rooftops suitable for solar power installation. A shared system overcomes this limitation by placing panels in optimal locations.
• Fourth, mini-grids can strengthen communities. Shared systems encourage collaboration and collective management. They can also create local jobs for maintenance and inspection.

Beyond access, mini-grids also support a just energy transition, which is a shift toward clean energy that is fair and inclusive, where the benefits of renewable energy reach everyone and no group is left behind.

• Uzia Mutumbi is a researcher in environmental sciences at Rhodes University; Gladman Thondhlana is Professor and Head of the Department of Geography, Geo-informatics and Meteorology at the University of Pretoria; and Shunesu Rwanza is Professor of Environmental Sciences at Rhodes University.

Conversation