Last week, project partners, community leaders and representatives gathered in Witsand for the launch of the community solar-lighting initiative, which has seen 300 wall-mounted solar lights installed in the area. This initiative will assist with the general safety of many dark streets in the community. More than 150 residents, community leaders, funders and project partners gathered at Azikhwelwa Hall last Wednesday, 5 August 2026. The occasion? To mark the official launch of 300 wall-mounted solar lights that have now been installed and are fully operational.
The completed first phase has provided lighting along critical travel routes, crime hotspots and pathways identified through a collaborative mapping and planning process with the community. For years, most parts of Witsand had no public lighting despite some areas being electrified. Dark streets and narrow pathways affected residents travelling to and from work, reaching public transport and accessing shared toilets after dark. During the project’s early engagements, community members spoke about attacks taking place under the cover of darkness and described public lighting as essential to safety, dignity and everyday movement.
The Witsand community first approached People’s Environmental Planning (PEP) in August 2024 after identifying lighting as the area’s most urgent development priority. Over the following two years, community leaders and representatives worked with PEP and LightUp to map priority areas, identify suitable households for wall-mounted lights and secure household consent. A team from the community was trained and participated in the installation, helping to build local skills and ownership alongside the physical infrastructure.
“For many years, the lack of public lighting forced people in Witsand to live with fear after dark. Residents returning from work struggled to move safely through the passages, while accessing communal toilets at night was particularly dangerous. These 300 solar lights are already making a meaningful difference. People can now walk with greater confidence, the illuminated areas feel safer, and the lights are helping community safety structures and SAPS protect residents more effectively. This project has restored hope and dignity to our community. We are deeply grateful to everyone who heard our concerns and helped make this possible,” said Babalo Mbulwana of the Witsand Community Board of Leaders. “This launch marks the completion of two years of work with the Witsand community,” said Noah Schermbrucker, Co-founder of LightUp and Director at People’s Environmental Planning. “The community did not simply receive a pre-designed solution. Residents helped identify where lighting was most urgently needed, and a local team was trained to install the lights. That process builds skills, ownership and a stronger basis for maintaining and extending the project over time.”
The first phase was funded by Global Business Solutions and LEDVANCE, which supplied the 300 solar lights. Project partners People’s Environmental Planning, LightUp, SANCO Witsand and the Provincial Violence Prevention Unit worked with community structures to plan and implement the installation. “Corporate social investment has the greatest value when it responds to a priority identified by the community and leaves behind something practical and sustainable,” said Jonathan Goldberg, Chairman of Global Business Solutions. “These 300 lights are installed, operational and already creating greater visibility along routes that residents use every day.”
Witsand comprises approximately 12,000 household structures, and many routes and sections still require lighting. The project partners are therefore calling on local businesses, funders and other organisations to support additional lights, ongoing maintenance, monitoring and the wider rollout of the programme
