Tackling
public lighting inequality
Our mission
The vast impact of darkness on the lives of people living in informal settlements is often neglected when considering infrastructure provision. Gender-based violence frequently happens in the veil of darkness and is regarded as one of South Africa's largest social ills. An unreliable power grid and un-electrifiable informal settlements also affect access to economic opportunities and the development of small businesses within informal settlements. With increased pressure on climate change targets, grid-dependent technology is fast becoming a burden on mounting needs for greener energy sources.
As a result of our engaged approach and decentralised solar technology, our lighting solutions majorly impact these vital areas of concern. ​​
Gender-based violence
​The South African government's National Strategic Plan on Gender-Based Violence calls for safer public space and access to safe public transport for women, children and LGBTQIA+. Our projects prove that well-lit pathways in informal settlements are vital in addressing the strategic plan outcomes, with women reporting feeling safe to access public toilets and public transport after dark.
Economic empowerment
Not feeling safe to commute to work in the dark affects many residents of informal settlements, directly impacting their sense of empowerment to access economic opportunities. Entrepreneurs in informal settlements are also affected by darkness and the threat of crime it brings to their businesses as a resident in WA-Section points out, “We are limited because businesses are closed early, so we are disadvantaged”. ​
Climate change
Our solar lighting technology supports the transition to renewable energy technologies in communities that are most vulnerable to climate change impacts while responding to South Africa's energy scarcity and routine power outages with renewable technology. ​​​​
01
CODESIGN
The value of participation and co-design and implementation have proved to be hugely beneficial in providing lighting solutions that adequately address a communities needs. We are further exploring the value of co-design by developing a lighting strategy for 400 wall-mounted solar lights in a community of 4000 households.
02
ECONOMIC VIABILITY
We are conducting a cost-benefit analysis of lighting solutions in informal settlements to understand whether wall-mounted solar lights are an economically viable solution for the government to adopt.
03
BOTTOM-UP MAINTENANCE
After the successful implementation of wall-mounted lighting in PJS Informal Settlement in 2021, we aim to find viable solutions to support bottom-up maintenance and management of wall-mounted solar public lighting. Our hope is to demonstrate the benefit of bottom-up maintenance as a viable approach to managing state-provided infrastructure in informal settlements.
04
SCALABILITY
Can decentralised solar lighting solutions be replicated at scale, making it more viable to be adopted as an official public lighting technology by the government? We are testing scaling-up wall-mounted solar lights through projects in four small informal settlements in Khayelitsha​
05
TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION
Installing high-quality, context-specific wall-mounted public solar lighting ​​is vital for the longevity of the infrastructure. Through each project, we try to refine the technical detailing of wall-mounted solar lights to manufacture lights that provide adequate light, are durable, easy to install yet theft resistant, and easy to maintain.
Project impacts
Factors for success
We have five key factors in our approach to public lighting solutions for informal settlements which we address in all our projects.
Our approach
About us
Background
LightUp is a programme within the non-governmental organisation, People's Environmental Planning. LightUp was founded by Noah Schermbrucker and Stephanie Briers in 2022 after the successful doctoral research project of Stephanie Briers and Yael Borofsky and formalised as a programme in 2025. We have worked in several informal settlements in Cape Town implementing and studying the impact of public lighting. Each light we install serves our impact mission and forms an evidence base aiming to influence public lighting policy specific to informal settlements. ​​​​​​​​
Our Projects
The Team
Co-founder
People's Environmental Planning
ETH Zurich
PJS Leadership Committee
Co-founder
ETH Zurich
Majru
People's Environmental Planning
Stellenbosch University
Media and Publications
Read
LightUp on infrahub.africa
infrahub.africa
Its a great honour to be featured on African Centre for Cities' & Urban Futures Studio platform that explores sustainable infrastructure projects in Africa as an entry point for imagining more sustainable, equitable cities
Read
Solar lights mean shack dwellers can walk to the toilet at night
GroundUp article
​Access to toilets after dark is one of the major reported impacts we see in communities after installing wall-mounted solar lights.
Read
Lighting up South Africa's informal settlements
by Noah Schermbrucker
Read more about the importance of a bottom up approach to lighting up South Africa's informal settlements, described through some of LightUp's projects. ​
Read
inDrive celebrates success of 'Layita Khayelitsha' campaign
News24
Read more about the success of the lighting we installed in WA-Section in this News24 article on the inDrive campaign.
Watch
Lighting for WA-Section
"Layita Khayelitsha" by inDrive
Watch how Drive's "Layita Khayelitsha" campaign impacted the lives of around 400 people in WA-Section where members of LightUp and the community installed 75 wall-mounted solar lights.
Read
City official visit our flagship project
City of Cape Town, Media Office
The City is investigating solar powered lighting solutions for informal settlements and visited our flagship project in PJS informal settlement in Khayelitsha for a closer look at the current solar powered lighting project and future lighting prospects for the area. ​
Read
Night in the informal city
by Yael Borofsky
A doctoral thesis looking at how limited public lighting infrastrucutre shapes life after dark in informal settlements, measuring the impact of an alternative public lighting solution.
​
​
Listen
Views & News on CapeTalk radio
Clarence Ford with Noah Schermbrucker
Radio presenter Clarence Ford interviews Noah Schermbrucker from People's Environmental Planning, on issues around public lighting provision in informal settlements and the work we are doing in LightUp.
​
Read
There’s a way to sort out lighting in informal settlements
by Noah Schermbrucker
Solar powered public lights are better than high-mast lights, collaborative Cape Town project suggests, read more in this GroundUp article.
Read
Shadows to light
by Yael Borofsky
This article shares the project in PJS Informal Settlement and the process followed to install almost 800 solar lights during the COVID-19 pandemic.
​
​
​
Listen
Lighting informal settlements
Andrew Tuck with Stephanie Briers
In informal settlements, lights play an important role in terms of safety and to provide a better quality of life. Listen to this interview on our project to test lighting solutions in Khayelitsha.
​
​
listen now
Read
Apartheid “Everynight” and the Politics of Lighting in Cape Town’s Townships
by Stephanie Briers
In this interview, learn about the history of South Africa's lighting in townships which still affects public lighting conditions in today.
Read
Everynight life in informal settlement
by Stephanie Briers & Yael Borofsky
This paper delves into the importance of considering public lighting and nighttime access to infrastructure to address Sustainable Development Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities.
Read
Public lighting policy for informal settlements
by Stephanie Briers
Unequal access to public lighting in Cape Town is an increasing focus for the public and city government but existing policies prevent the situation from improving in the most underserviced areas – informal settlements. ​
Read
Lighting the way against Gender-based violence
African Business
Our lighting projects address gender-based violence in very concrete terms by lighting up pathways which makes women feel safer in their communities.
News
Municipal officials visit WA project
by Noah Schermbrucker
Stellenbosch Municipality recently visited WA Section, Khayelitsha to learn more about the wall-mounted solar lights that were recently installed on 50 structures rolled out by LightUp in partnership with Peoples Environmental Planning and InDrive.
news
Read
Infrastructures of Freedom
by Stephanie Briers
This book explores darkness and everynight life in informal settlements, looking at the process and impact of a co-created solar public lighting project in PJS Informal Settlement, Khayelitsha.
​
Read
'Layita
Khayelitsha' campaign
in Drive press release
Read this press release by inDrive to learn more about the Layita Khayelitsha campaign that LightUp is collaborating on, using the power of music to light up Khayelitsha.
​
​
Watch
PJS Informal Solar Project
by Green Cape
This short documentary supported by the City of Cape Town tells the story of the solar lighting project in PJS, interviewing some residents of PJS some actors involved in making the project happen.
​
Watch
Everynight Life Screenplay
by Stephanie Briers & Ilze Myburgh
A short film depicting everynight life in informal settlements through the eyes of a young boy. This film was create with the community of PJS Informal Settlement and shot in PJS,. Cick below to watch the trailer.
​
.jpg)
Read
The violence of lighting in Khayelitsha
by Stephanie Briers
Read about the history of high-mast lighting in Cape Town and why alternative public lighting solutions are necessary for domecratic South Africa.
​​
