A glimmer of hope? Inside SA’s first smart rural village
With South Africa fast approaching its 7th general elections, Eyewitness News travelled across all nine provinces, speaking to citizens, feeling the pulse of the nation ahead of the significant political milestones that lie ahead.
Gwa-Kwini in Limpopo, the country's first smart village. Picture: Jacques Nelles/Eyewitness News
VHEMBE - Just weeks after being narrated the story of Tintswalo – democracy’s child – by President Cyril Ramaphosa, South Africans are reflecting on the quality of life in the country as it prepares to mark 30 years of democratic rule.
And while progress is easier to spot in urban areas, Eyewitness News can reveal that those living in rural and far-flung areas are finding it harder to see government’s influence amid challenges to access services and opportunities.
This is not necessarily the case for residents in Gwa-Kwani in the Vhembe District Municipality, nestled between the borders of Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
The remote community, unlike its counterparts, has been able to claim the title of being the country’s first smart rural village, which comes with access to solar-powered electricity, water provided through boreholes, and the regular usage of modern technology.
Gwa-Kwani in the Vhembe District Municipality, a remote community with access to solar-powered electricity, water provided through boreholes, and the regular usage of modern technology. Picture: Jacques Nelles/Eyewitness News
It achieved these feats through an initiative launched in 2014 by the University of Johannesburg’s (UJ) Electrical Engineering Faculty.
The scenic village, perched along the mountains of Vhembe, feels from afar like any other hamlet, coupled with a long commute on gravel road to reach it. However, once there, it’s easy to see how advanced life is for people in this village.
It is home to 28 families, with a population of no more than 70.
Here the lights stay on, and boreholes function effectively, mostly through solar energy. Even the children, often seen playing and chattering away, have easy access to warm water drawn from a nearby well.
Solar panels in Gwa-Kwani that keep the lights on. Picture: Jacques Nelles/Eyewitness News
One of the residents here, 33-year-old Christopher Nefelovhodwe, shared with Eyewitness News the steps taken by the university to modernise his tiny small village home.
“UJ built solar panels, solar geysers, and solar-powered street lights. The lights come in handy when there is no electricity; they light up the community. They are placed near our gates so that our houses are visible.”
He also introduced Eyewitness News to some of his neighbors, like Talifhani Motshilele, who runs a bakery built by the university.
Talifhani Motshilele's bakery in Gwa-Kwani, Limpopo, where power supply challenges do not exist. Picture: Jacques Nelles/Eyewitness News
“Transforming this place into a smart village has changed our lives so much. Before UJ built this bakery, we’d have to travel a distance to buy bread.”
Many here, like the surrounding villages, have no jobs and rely on selling cattle to put food on the table.
They also expressed their unhappiness with the government of the day, claiming service delivery has pretty much been non-existent in the remote village they call home.