Shalazile camp microgrid brings power, dignity and hope

City Power chose solar microgrid technology to electrify a temporary settlement in Johannesburg for speed and safety

ESI Africa recently visited the Shalazile Microgrid & Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) Project site as part of Enlit Africa’s municipal high impact projects showcase, to witness first-hand how innovation and urgency can transform lives.

The story of Shalazile began with devastation. In August 2023, a fire ripped through the Usindiso Building in Marshalltown, Johannesburg, claiming 77 lives and leaving hundreds homeless.

Survivors were relocated to Shalazile Camp, a temporary settlement. But the camp had no electricity, no lights, no warmth and no safety after dark.

A court order directed the City’s Department of Human Settlement to provide essential services, and City Power was tasked with delivering the most urgent one: electricity.

A new kind of electrification

Instead of waiting years for a traditional grid connection, City Power turned to a faster, smarter solution, a microgrid. Within 12 months, the project was designed, constructed and commissioned. This is an achievement that would normally take three to five years under conventional methods.

The Shalazile Microgrid includes:

• 1,812 Canadian Solar panels (550W each), with a total installed capacity of 1MW, generating approximately 1,652MWh annually,
• 1.2MWh of lithium-ion batteries for storage, housed in two secure 12m containers,
• Hybrid ATESS inverters with 1.2MW capacity, fully compliant with national standards,
• An integrated security and CCTV system for round-the-clock protection, and
• Fibre optic telecommunications for real-time monitoring and control.

Built on an 8,380m² site, with the solar plant covering over 4,000m², the system not only powers 273 households but also reduces strain on Johannesburg’s already challenged grid.

For families who had lost everything, the lights switching on at Shalazile represented more than electricity. It is safety for children, the ability to cook, study and live with dignity again.

“This was never just about electrification,” said Qhakazile Mathebula, Senior Manager: Project Management Office at City Power. “It was about restoring dignity, creating hope, and showing that innovation can deliver where traditional infrastructure would have taken years.”

The project, budgeted at R79.2 million, is more than just an electrification project, it was also a human and economic development initiative. Over 45 local residents were employed through the Expanded Public Works Programme and small businesses were contracted, ensuring economic benefits stayed within the community.

Overcoming challenges

Like any major infrastructure project, Shalazile faced setbacks, from construction stoppages to logistical hurdles. Yet each was overcome, with City Power emphasising speed, innovation and resilience. By March 2025, the camp had a fully operational, future-proof energy solution.

“The biggest challenge was getting community buy-in, the community needed power immediately,” said Penelope Mosana, Senior Stakeholder for City Power, “But we saw that as an opportunity to prove that with transparent leadership and strong engagements and a few late nights, we delivered a reliable, clean and expandable solution.”

A model for the future

City Power views Shalazile as a proof of concept. Microgrids are no longer just backup options. They are essential tools in South Africa’s energy transition and enhancing resilience, enabling renewable integration and bringing underserved communities into the fold of modern infrastructure.

“Shalazile is a model we can replicate in other parts of the city,” Mathebula noted. “It’s sustainable, scalable and most importantly, it places people at the center of the solution.”

As the sun sets over Shalazile and solar panels hum quietly, the glow from within the settlement tells a bigger story: electricity is more than power. It is progress, possibility and a promise that even in the wake of tragedy, light can find its way back

Cover photo:  L-R Penelope Mosana, City Power Senior Stakeholder for the North; Charles Maboko, City Power Project Coordinator: Grid Expansion; Simon Mamabolo, The VUKA Group Marketing Strategist; Qhakazile Mathebula, City Power General Manager: Smart Energy Solutions; Mediacy Mudekwa, The VUKA Group Content & Stakeholder Engagement Power and Energy Portfolio Lead; Nocky Lipheko, City Power Chief Engineer: Electrification Design; and Koketjo Disree Chaba, City Power Special Project Senior Stakeholder. Source: The VUKA Group