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Renewable energy infrastructure development in rural South Africa: An evolutionary analysis
Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2025.
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| Language: | en_ZA |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2025
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| _version_ | 1867614060790415360 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Lombard, Andrea |
| author2 | Ferreira, Sanette |
| author_browse | Ferreira, Sanette Lombard, Andrea |
| author_facet | Ferreira, Sanette Lombard, Andrea |
| author_sort | Lombard, Andrea |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/134677 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | en_ZA |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:46:01.452Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/134677 Renewable energy infrastructure development in rural South Africa: An evolutionary analysis Lombard, Andrea Ferreira, Sanette Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Geography and Environmental Studies. Renewable energy sources -- South Africa Rural development -- South Africa Energy facilities Sustainable development -- South Africa Regional planning -- South Africa UCTD Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. Lombard, A. 2025. Renewable energy infrastructure development in rural South Africa: An evolutionary analysis. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/ca64b4d1-5fcf-4a72-b1c0-f6eedfa1a38d ENGLISH ABSTRACT: South Africa added a Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP) to its energy policy context in 2011. By 2024, this programme has secured about 10% of the country’s electricity supplies through renewable energy (RE) resources developed by independent power producers. The problem researched in this study focused on how RE landscapes that are relatively new to the South African context may contribute to rural local and/or regional development. More specifically the transformation and diversification that the relatively new RE infrastructure can foster in the economic, socio-cultural, environmental and political domains of the study regions using evolutionary economic geography (EEG) as the analytical framework. Part of the REIPPPP criteria is that the developers must encourage economic development in all settlements within a 50km radius from the RE projects being constructed. The RE projects are located in mainly rural areas of the country. A case study approach was followed to elicit information on the diversification and transformational aspects of the RE project developments on selected settlements in the Northern Cape, Eastern Cape and Western Cape provinces of South Africa. The aim of the study was to investigate the role that solar and wind energy infrastructure can play in the economic diversification and socio-economic transformation in selected rural regions of South Africa. The research objectives were fivefold, namely (1) to establish a solid base and understanding of the concepts and constructs related to evolutionary economic geography and associated theoretical underpinnings by reviewing the international scholarship on this topic; (2) to review the South African renewable energy policy context; (3) to investigate the pre-establishment context of the study areas before the introduction of renewable energy infrastructures; (4) to scrutinise the socio-economic transformation and/or diversification of solar and wind energy infrastructure establishment and operation in the Northern, Eastern and Western Cape provinces of South Africa; and (5) to conduct a comparative analysis focusing on the deployment of solar and wind energy technologies in the different regions in terms of their different (or similar) socio-economic transformation abilities. Data was collected using a mixed-methods approach by first obtaining quantitative data from secondary sources on the pre-development context of the study regions. The qualitative data collection methods were a pilot focus group, semi-structured interviews, observational exercises and informal conversations. Data was analysed using a thematic approach and findings of the research are discussed in a narrative format. The main findings of the study indicated that an EEG approach is appropriate for evaluating the role that solar and wind energy infrastructure development can play in the economic diversification and socio-economic transformation of rural areas. The findings of the case study on the Northern Cape province shows that the rural areas that were investigated exhibited signs of adaptive resilience during the post-construction phase of the RE project development. Rural areas in the Eastern Cape province are currently still locked-in to their path dependent development trajectories which were not influenced by the RE project developments. The Western Cape province study areas are leaning towards unrelated diversification of their economic conditions after the implementation of the RE projects in these areas. The contribution of this study is two-fold. A theoretical contribution was made in the field of economic geography using the EEG approach to study RE project development and its associated socio-economic consequences on rural sub-regions in South Africa which has not been done before. Further, a policy contribution is made emanating from the thematic analysis of the findings. The economic development criteria of the REIPPPP policy framework needs to be more inclusive of all demographic groups in these rural areas to truly make a long-term difference from a socio-economic development perspective. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die Hernieubare Energie Onafhanklike Krag Verskaffer Verkrygings Program (HEOKVVP) is in 2011 toegevoeg tot die Suid-Afrikaanse energie beleidskonteks. Onder die vaandel van hierdie program het onafhanklike krag verskaffers teen 2024 ongeveer 10% van die land se elektrisiteitsvoorraad deur hernieubare energie (HE) bronne ontwikkel. Die navorsingsprobleem fokus op hoe HE landskappe wat relatief nuut in die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks is moontlik kan bydra tot plaaslike en/of streeksontwikkeling. Meer spesifiek word ‘n evolusionêre ekonomiese geografiese (EEG) analitiese raamwerk gebruik om vas te stel of die HE infrastruktuur ‘n bydrae kon lewer tot die transformasie en diversifikasie van die ekonomiese, sosio-kulturele, politiese kontekste asook die natuurlike omgewing van die drie studiegebiede wat bestudeer is. Deel van die HEOKVVP kriteria is dat die ontwikkelaars ekonomiese ontwikkeling in alle nedersettings binne ‘n 50 km radius van waar die HE projekte opgerig word moet bevorder. Die HE projekte word hoofsaaklik in landelike gebiede van Suid-Afrika aangetref. ‘n Gevallestudie benadering is gevolg om inligting te bekom rakende die diversifikasie en transformasie aspekte van HE projek ontwikkelings op geselekteerde nedersettings in die Noord-Kaap, Oos Kaap en Wes Kaap provinsies van Suid-Afrika. Die doel van die studie was om die rol wat son- en windkrag infrastruktuur kan speel in die ekonomiese diversifikasie en sosio-ekonomiese transformasie van geselekteerde landelike streke van Suid-Afrika te ondersoek. Die navorsingsdoelwitte was vyfvoudig, naamlik (1) hersiening van internasionale literatuur om ‘n konseptuele basis en verstaan van evolusionêre ekonomiese geografie en geassosieerde teoretiese grondslae te kweek; (2) om die Suid-Afrikaanse hernieubare energie beleidskonteks te ondersoek; (3) om die pre-ontwikkelings-kontekste van die studie areas voor die instelling van hernieubare energie infrastruktuur te ondersoek; (4) om die sosio-ekonomiese transformasie en/of diversifikasie van die son- en windkrag infrastruktuur vestiging en werking in die Noord-Kaap, Oos Kaap en Wes Kaap provinsies van Suid-Afrika te ondersoek; en (5) om ‘n vergelykende analise te doen gefokus op die ontplooiing van son- en windkrag tegnologie in die verskillende streke op grond van hulle verskillende (of dieselfde) sosio-ekonomiese transformasie vermoëns. Data is ingesamel deur ‘n gemengde metodologiese raamwerk te gebruik om eerste kwantitatiewe data vanaf sekondêre bronne rakende die voor-vestigingskonteks van die studie streke in te samel. Die kwalitatiewe data insamelingsmetodes was ‘n fokusgroep, semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude, waarnemings en informele gesprekke. Data is geanaliseer deur gebruik te maak van ‘n tematiese benadering waar bevindings saamgevat is in tabelvorm en ook bespreek word in ‘n narratiewe formaat. Die hoof bevindings van die studie het aangedui dat ‘n EEG benadering geskik is vir die evaluering van die rol wat son- en windkrag infastruktuur ontwikkeling kan speel in die ekonomiese diversifikasie en die sosio-ekonomiese transformasie van landelike areas. Die landelike areas van die Noord-Kaap provinsie wat ondersoek is, het tekens van aanpasbare veerkragtigheid getoon gedurende die na-konstruksie fase van die HE projek ontwikkeling. Landelike gebiede van die Oos Kaap provinsie is steeds gevestig in hulle pad afhanklike ontwikkelingsbane wat nie beïnvloed is deur die HE projek ontwikkeling nie. Studiegebiede van die Wes Kaap provinsie neig na onverwante diversifikasie van hul ekonomiese toestande na die implementering van die HE projekte in hierdie gebiede. Die bydrae van hierdie studie is tweevoud. ‘n Teoretiese bydrae is gemaak binne die veld van evolusionêre ekonomiese geografie deur die EEG benadering te gebruik om HE projek ontwikkeling en die geassosieerde sosio-ekonomiese gevolge in landelike substreke van Suid-Afrika te bestudeer – wat nog nie voorheen gedoen is nie. Verder is ‘n beleidsbydrae gelewer wat spruit uit die tematiese analise van die bevindings. Om werklik ‘n langtermyn sosio-ekonomiese verskil te maak behoort die ekonomiese ontwikkelingskriteria van die HEOKVVP beleidsraamwerk meer inklusief te wees van al die demografiese groepe in die betrokke landelike gebiede. Doctoral 2025-12-23T08:05:51Z 2025-12-23T08:05:51Z 2025-12 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/134677 en_ZA Stellenbosch University 180 pages : illustrations application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Renewable energy sources -- South Africa Rural development -- South Africa Energy facilities Sustainable development -- South Africa Regional planning -- South Africa UCTD Lombard, Andrea Renewable energy infrastructure development in rural South Africa: An evolutionary analysis |
| title | Renewable energy infrastructure development in rural South Africa: An evolutionary analysis |
| title_full | Renewable energy infrastructure development in rural South Africa: An evolutionary analysis |
| title_fullStr | Renewable energy infrastructure development in rural South Africa: An evolutionary analysis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Renewable energy infrastructure development in rural South Africa: An evolutionary analysis |
| title_short | Renewable energy infrastructure development in rural South Africa: An evolutionary analysis |
| title_sort | renewable energy infrastructure development in rural south africa an evolutionary analysis |
| topic | Renewable energy sources -- South Africa Rural development -- South Africa Energy facilities Sustainable development -- South Africa Regional planning -- South Africa UCTD |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/134677 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT lombardandrea renewableenergyinfrastructuredevelopmentinruralsouthafricaanevolutionaryanalysis |