knowledge, perceptions and engagement with renewable energy in south africa… · 2015-03-20 ·...

Knowledge, Perceptions and Engagement with

Renewable energy in South Africa: a case study

of Matzikama municipality, Western Cape

Grete Simanauskaite (SMNGRE001)

MSc specialising in Climate Change and Sustainable

Development, University of Cape Town

Supervisor: Mark New

Co-supervisor: Holle Linnea Wlokas

Minor dissertation presented for the approval of Senate in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the

MSc specialising in Climate Change and Sustainable Development in approved courses and a minor

dissertation. I hereby declare that I have read and understood the regulations governing the

submission of MSc specialising in Climate Change and Sustainable Development dissertations,

including those relating to length and plagiarism, as contained in the rules of this University, and that

this minor dissertation conforms to those regulations.

Signature:

Date: __________________________

Acknowledgements

Research is a journey and therefore I would like to say a big thank you to all

who helped to complete it:

My supervisors Professor Mark New and Holle Linnea Wlokas for their

advice and guidance throughout, and for placing their trust in me to pursue

my own research idea

Dr. Bradley Rink for his incredible patience in answering endless

questions that I had during the year

Mr. Lionel Phillips, the IDP/LED manager at Matzikama municipality,

whose assistance was invaluable in gaining access to communities

Jason Beukes for his amazing energy in assisting me with translations

All the people in Matzikama municipality who found time to participate

in this study and shared their knowledge with me

And finally, to my friends and family, whose support allowed this

journey to happen.

Abstract

Renewable energy has the potential for delivering socio-economic and

environmental benefits to societies, and hence with the aim of meeting its

Greenhouse Gas (GHG) reduction targets and contributing towards

development, South Africa launched a renewable energy program in 2011.

Social acceptance is among the factors which can determine successful

outcomes for renewable energy projects, and, given the newness of the

renewable energy industry in South Africa, this study enhances knowledge on

how specific aspects of social acceptance, namely knowledge, perceptions

and engagement, play out among local communities in South Africa.

Four communities, differing in their income levels, were interrogated using a

survey technique in Matzikama municipality, an area where two renewable

energy projects are taking place. This research found that fragmented

knowledge around renewable energy exists, and that tertiary education,

employment and income influence knowledge creation in the studied area.

In the context of Matzikama municipality, insufficiencies around engagement

and information dissemination processes that emerged from this study could

be overcome by exploring alternative public participation mechanisms or

producing more targeted and tailored communication. Perceptions around

renewable energy were highly positive, yet people’s ability to identify only

economic benefits could introduce negative attitudes or conflicts in the

future. This study provides unique insights into the relationship between

renewable energy and local communities in one municipal area in South

Africa, calling for greater understanding of local social context, specifically

communities and their social structures, in deployment of renewable energy

technologies.

Keywords Renewable energy• Social acceptance• Knowledge•

Engagement• Perceptions• Benefits• Community

Table of Contents

Introduction ................................................................................................................... 1

1.1 Research aim and objectives .......................................................................... 3

2. Literature review ....................................................................................................... 3

2.1 Climate change technologies and social acceptance ............................. 4

2.2 Knowledge around renewable energy .......................................................... 6

2.3 Perceptions around renewable energy and the role of community

benefits ....................................................................................................................... 7

2.4 Renewable energy contributions to local sustainability .............................. 9

2.5 Importance of engagement and communication around renewable

energy ...................................................................................................................... 11

2.6 Acceptance, engagement and knowledge .............................................. 13

2.6.1 In developed countries ............................................................................. 14

2.6.2 and in developing nations ....................................................................... 16

3. Methodology .......................................................................................................... 18

3.1 Study area ......................................................................................................... 18

3.2 Data collection ................................................................................................. 20

3.3 Pilot visit .............................................................................................................. 22

3.4 Sampling strategy ............................................................................................. 23

3.5 Data analysis ..................................................................................................... 24

4. Results ...................................................................................................................... 24

4.1 Socio-demographic profile of respondents ................................................. 24

4.2 Knowledge of renewable energy ................................................................. 28

4.2.1 Key findings ................................................................................................. 35

4.3 Perceptions around renewable energy ....................................................... 36

4.3.1 Opinions around renewable energy ...................................................... 36

4.3.2 Perceptions and expectations around benefits ................................... 40

4.3.3 Key findings ................................................................................................. 44

4.4 Engagement, information sharing and communication around

renewable energy .................................................................................................. 45

4.4.1 Engagement and information sharing ................................................... 45

4.4.2 Communicating renewable energy ....................................................... 49

4.4.3 Key findings ................................................................................................. 55

5. Discussion .............................................................................................................. 56

5.1 Knowledge around renewable energy ........................................................ 56

5.1.1. Fragmented knowledge .......................................................................... 56

5.1.2 Factors influencing knowledge ............................................................... 57

5.2 Renewable energy communication ............................................................. 58

5.2.1 Understanding target population ........................................................... 58

5.2.2 Tailored messages ...................................................................................... 59

5.2.3 Responsibilities towards information sharing process ........................... 60

5.3 Engagement and development ................................................................... 61

5.3.1 Engagement with renewable energy so far ......................................... 61

5.3.2 Implications to current public participation model.............................. 62

5.4 Perceptions around benefits .......................................................................... 63

5.4.1 Improvements in physical and financial capital .................................. 63

5.4.2 Unrecognised social benefits ................................................................... 64

5.5 Public acceptance .......................................................................................... 65

6. Conclusion ............................................................................................................ 66

Reference list .............................................................................................................. 69

Appendix 1. ................................................................................................................. 74

Appendix 2. ................................................................................................................. 76

Table of Figures

Figure 1. Dimensions of social acceptance in the context of renewable

energy technologies. Source: Wustenhagen et al., 2007. .................................... 5

Figure 2. Potential nature of community benefits. Source: Jones, 2012. ............ 9

Figure 3. Conceptual framework of public engagement with renewable

energy technologies. Source: Devine-Wright, 2009. ............................................ 12

Figure 4. Location of communities and renewable energy sites in Matzikama

Municipality, Western Cape. Source: Grete Simanauskaite, ArcGIS 10.1, 2014.

...................................................................................................................................... 19

Figure 5. Gender distribution of respondents in different communities in

Matzikama municipality. ........................................................................................... 25

Figure 6. Distribution of different age groups among different communities in


Figure 7. Respondents’ highest level of education. ............................................. 26

Figure 8. Highest levels of education achieved by respondents from different

communities. .............................................................................................................. 26

Figure 9. Employment levels of respondents in Matzikama municipality. ......... 27

Figure 10. Employment of respondents from different communities. ................ 28

Figure 11. Proportion of respondents that identified specific issues around

electricity in South Africa. ......................................................................................... 29

Figure 12. Spontaneous awareness around renewable energy sources .......... 30

Figure 13. Levels of awareness of renewable energy sources in different

communities. (Spontaneous awareness) ............................................................... 31

Figure 14. Prompted and spontaneous awareness of energy sources in


Figure 15. Spontaneous and prompted awareness of renewable energy

sources in different communities. ............................................................................ 32

Figure 16. Summary of responses regarding understanding of term ‘renewably

energy’. ....................................................................................................................... 34

Figure 17. Levels of knowledge around different renewable energy sources

among different communities. ................................................................................ 35

Figure 18. Personal opinion around renewable energy in different

communities. .............................................................................................................. 36

Figure 19. Opinions around renewable energy and electricity cost and

availability. .................................................................................................................. 37

Figure 20. Opinions around environmental impacts of renewable energy. .... 38

Figure 21. Opinions around renewable energy and impacts on local

communities. .............................................................................................................. 39

Figure 22. Opinions around renewable energy and contributions towards

socio-economic development. ............................................................................... 40

Figure 23. Opinions around provision of benefits from renewable energy....... 41

Figure 24. Benefits that renewable energy can deliver, identified by

respondents in Matzikama municipality. ................................................................ 41

Figure 25. Benefits from renewable energy identified by respondents from

different communities. .............................................................................................. 44

Figure 26. Knowledge of specific renewable energy projects in Matzikama

municipality. ................................................................................................................ 45

Figure 27. Knowledge of various renewable energy projects in Matzikama

municipality. ................................................................................................................ 46

Figure 28. Levels of information around renewable energy projects and

benefits provided to respondents. .......................................................................... 47

Figure 29. Information sources where people actually have received

information around renewable energy. ................................................................. 48

Figure 30. Information sources for renewable energy in different communities.

...................................................................................................................................... 49

Figure 31. Proportion of respondents in each community that use various

information sources to receive news about events in the country and the

world. ........................................................................................................................... 50

Figure 32. Proportion of respondents in each community that use various

sources to obtain information for happenings in the municipality. ................... 51

Figure 33. Information for news in country, world and municipality based on

qualification levels and employment of respondents. ........................................ 52

Figure 34. Preferred information communication channels around renewable

energy. ......................................................................................................................... 53

Figure 35. Responsible stakeholders for informing people, as identified by

respondents in Matzikama municipality ................................................................. 54

1

Introduction

South Africa is the 14th biggest Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emitter in the world

(Maia et al., 2011) and one of the largest among the developing countries

(Zeroco2, 2013). As a signatory to the United Nations Framework Convention

for Climate Change (UNFCCC), South Africa is obliged to take part in the

global action in mitigating climate change and therefore committed to 42%

GHG emissions reductions below business-as-usual levels by 2025

(Department of Environmental Affairs, 2011). Additionally, South Africa is

presented with the triple development challenge of unemployment,

inequality and poverty (Montmasson-Clair, 2012), and climate change

responses have to be prioritised based on their contributions towards

addressing the underlying socio-economic issues.

Renewable energy technologies have been recognised on the international

and national levels for their potential to mitigate climate change and

simultaneously to deliver local benefits such as poverty reduction, local

employment, skills development and investment opportunities (Sathaye et al.,

2012). The Integrated Resource Plan which is a long-term national strategy for

South Africa’s energy sector outlines that by 2030, 26.3% of the total installed

capacity should be generated from renewable resources (Department of

Energy, 2013). On the provincial level, the White Paper on Sustainable Energy

for the Western Cape Province, promulgated in 2010, outlines the target for

the Province of 15% of electricity from renewable sources by 2014 (Western

Cape Provincial Government, 2010). Increasing the share of renewable

energy in the country’s energy system, specifically up to 36% of the total

electricity production by 2030, is also recognised as an important factor in

achieving transition to the Green Economy or a new sustainable

development path in South Africa (Green Economy Summit, 2010).

To facilitate development of the renewable energy industry and more rapid

deployment of renewable energy technologies, the Renewable Energy

Independent Power Producers Procurement Programme (hereafter RE IPPPP)

2

was launched in 2011. The RE IPPPP was designed in such a way so as not

only to contribute towards South Africa’s climate change commitments and

ensure a more secure electricity supply but also to promote sustainable

development on the local level (Tait, 2012). Selection process of renewable

energy projects encompasses pricing criteria as well as economic elements,

among which is job creation, socio-economic development and as local

ownership (Wlokas et al., 2012). The RE IPPPP requires that communities which

are located within 50 km radius of the proposed renewable energy site

receive benefits which would contribute towards local development (Wlokas

et al., 2012). The design of the RE IPPPP incurs challenges to the renewable

energy sector, especially around the distribution and governance of

community benefits so that they could have real impacts, and therefore the

way forward should also attempt to include views and perceptions of local

communities (Tait et al., 2013).

In general, renewable energy projects are considered to be successful when

they achieve both the intended techno-economic outcomes in terms of

features and functions of a project as well as process outcomes which

pertain to social acceptance of a specific project (Brohmann et al., 2007). In

countries where the renewable energy sector is more developed, renewable

energy developments often incur local opposition (Wolsink, 2007) while in

South Africa renewable energy projects are still at their early stages and such

issue is less pertinent. However, this could change as the industry matures and

benefits are unevenly distributed: the intent is to direct benefits to those more

in need rather than those opposing the development who tend to be from

more affluent communities (Tait, 2012). Discontented communities can

present risks to projects (Tait et al., 2012) while those more in favour can

ensure higher changes of delivering positive outcomes and contributions to

local sustainability (del Rio and Burguillo, 2008).

In such context, managing communities’ expectations is an imperative factor

in increasing the potential for successful outcomes from renewable energy

projects (Tait et al., 2013). Likewise, building capacity at community level in

3

terms of awareness, communication and information sharing is also of great

importance so that benefits from renewable energy projects can maximise

positive contributions to the upliftment of communities in most need.

1.1 Research aim and objectives

The above highlighted elements of engagement, information sharing and

expectations are all factors which can influence social acceptance of

renewable energy developments and therefore their specific outcomes.

While the concept of social acceptance is broader and encompasses more

elements, this thesis will aim to examine aspects of knowledge, perceptions

and engagement as these are of great relevance to the current renewable

energy context in South Africa. This research will consider these elements in

the context of local municipal area where two renewable energy projects

are taking place. To meet the outlined aim, the following objectives will have

to be achieved:

To establish the level of awareness and understanding around

renewable energy;

To capture perceptions and expectations around renewable energy

and its benefits;

To identify levels of engagement and sources of information around

renewable energy.

2. Literature review

The review establishes the context for this study by exploring theoretical and

empirical evidence around knowledge, perceptions and engagement with

renewable energy. Firstly, the importance of social acceptance in

deployment of renewable energy technologies as well as aspects

constituting acceptance are presented. Furthermore, the concept of

knowledge is elaborated on, followed by the investigation on how

perceptions around benefits of renewable energy can influence renewable

4

energy developments. The fourth section presents contributions that

renewable energy can make to local sustainability and local development,

and the fifth section looks the attributes that characterise adequate public

engagement with renewable energy. The review concludes with evidence

from various studies demonstrating how aspects of knowledge, perceptions

and engagement have played out in the context of both developed and

developing countries.

2.1 Climate change technologies and social acceptance

Climate change is increasingly recognised as one of the biggest current

environmental and social issues by many nations and addressing it requires

international cooperation and action in many spheres. Adoption of climate

change technologies by developing nations is important in mitigating global

emissions, especially as developing countries have huge reduction potential

(Ueno, 2009). Research on diffusion and deployment of renewable energy

technologies predominantly focuses on technical and cost considerations,

and often tends to overlook socio-political context in which technologies will

have to operate (Stephens et al., 2008). Socio-political context which

encompasses institutions and actors as well as relevant legislation and

economic factors tends to be influenced by perceptions around risks,

benefits and costs of new technologies, and therefore, building human and

institutional capacity as well as raising awareness among stakeholders, users

and civil society is important for technology deployment (Stephens et al.,

2008, Bazilian et al., 2008).

Social or public acceptance (these terms in literature are used

interchangeably) has been identified as an important factor to be

considered in technology adoption as lack of public acceptance could

present a significant barrier to successful project implementation, especially

on the local level (Wüstenhagen et al., 2007, Reiner et al., 2006, Devine-

Wright, 2007, Devine-Wright, 2005). Multiple definitions of social acceptance

5

exists, and that tends to depend on the context that the term is used in

(Wustenhagen et al., 2007). The theory behind social acceptance suggests

that it is comprised of three dimensions, namely socio-political acceptance,

community acceptance as well as market acceptance (Figure 1)

(Wustenhagen et al., 2007). Socio-political dimension in the context of

renewable energy technologies refers to acceptance on the broad societal

level, including key stakeholders, policy makers and the public; market

acceptance entails project developers, grid operators as well as power

consumers while community acceptance encompasses local stakeholders,

which include residents and local authorities (Wustenhagen et al., 2007).

These dimensions are interdependent as different stakeholder groups can

influence each other in determining social acceptance of renewable energy

technologies (IEA, 2011).

Figure 1. Dimensions of social acceptance in the context of renewable energy technologies. Source:

Wustenhagen et al., 2007.

Public acceptance in the context of renewable energy is known to be a

combination of personal, socio-psychological and contextual factors

(Devine-Wright, 2007). Personal factors which affect acceptance are age,

gender and social class while socio-psychological factors pertain to the

degree of awareness and understanding around technologies, political

beliefs, environmental beliefs and concern, place attachment as well as

perceived fairness and levels of trust in planning and development stages

(Devine-Wright, 2007). Contextual factors refer to technological, institutional

6

as well as spatial contexts in which technologies operate (Devine-Wright,

2007). Technological context encompasses the impacts that various

technologies may present depending on the scale they are implemented

whereas institutional context includes ownership structures as well as

distribution of benefits (Devine-Wright, 2007, Brohmann et al., 2007).

Specifically, institutional context is influenced by the extent stakeholders are

involved in planning and decision-making through communication and

negotiation processes as involvement enables understanding local concerns

and culture as well to addressing uncertainties about the technologies and

their impacts (Brohmann et al., 2007). Spatial context refers to the proximity to

the development and perceptions that arise as a result of it (Devine-Wright,

2007).

Social acceptance is considered to be one of the indicators for support of

renewable energy in society (Wolsink, 2000), however, support on the

national level may not necessarily reflect high acceptance of a particular

technology on the ground, where it will be implemented. For this reason

research around renewable energy deployment should investigate social

acceptance on various levels, from national to local (Wustenhagen et al.,

2007, Demski, 2011). Social acceptance is a multi-faceted concept, which

can be influenced by a range of personal, institutional and contextual

factors, and the way it plays out often influences deployment of climate

change technologies.

2.2 Knowledge around renewable energy

Knowledge is among the factors which influence social acceptance.

Knowledge is closely linked to information, yet it is produced by human

activities: it is referred to as ‘individual cognition […] which resides in people’

(Burton, 2001:436). Knowledge is formed through cognitive processes of

perception, learning, communication, association and reasoning (Abhary et

al., 2009), and according to Machlup (1972), the difference between

7

knowledge and information is that ‘informing is the act by which a state of

knowing is produced in someone’s mind’ (Machlup, 1972:14). Although

various definitions of knowledge exist, the English Oxford Dictionary presents

knowledge to be constituted of ‘expertise and skills gained through

experience or education; theoretical or practical understanding of the

subject; or awareness or familiarity gained by experience of a fact or

situation (Abhary et al., 2009). Knowledge also refers to confident

understanding of the topic/subject in question (Abhary et al., 2009), and

sound knowledge of the subject allows thinking more critically and

encourages engagement and participation in decision-making process

(DeWaters et al., 2007).

While knowledge can encourage engagement with renewable energy, it

has not been proven that increased knowledge introduces more social

acceptance. Although a study by Devine-Wright (2007) has found correlation

between knowledge and social acceptance of renewable energy where

increased knowledge induces more positive attitudes, other studies have

found no such relationship (Devine-Wright, 2007, Demski, 2011). Demski (2011)

has identified that higher levels of knowledge determine stronger attitudes

towards a particular topic or object, not the greater acceptance; in other

words, knowledge creates difference between attitudes and non-attitudes

(Demski, 2011).

2.3 Perceptions around renewable energy and the role of community

benefits

Perceptions are a ‘set of evaluations’ that make up an attitude or opinion,

and they are influenced by existing levels of knowledge and beliefs (Demski,

2011). However, cognition is only one component that affects perceptions

while others are emotions and feelings that a subject holds as well his/her

behavioural intents (Demski, 2011). Perceptions held by local communities of

benefits that renewable energy can derive are known to influence opinions

8

around renewable energy. Studies from Denmark and Germany have found

that there is strong correlation between provision of benefits and

acceptance of renewable energy (Docherty Consulting, 2012) while in the UK

context, wind farm developments which do not propose direct economic

benefits to local communities tend to incur conflicts in the planning phase

(Munday et al., 2011). In order to increase local acceptance of renewable

energy projects and to compensate for the loss of amenities as a result of

developments, renewable energy developers in the UK have introduced

community benefit schemes (Jones, 2012). Provision of community benefits

offers communities an opportunity to be compensated for the use of their

resources while benefits, which commonly tend to accrue on the national

level, can be directed towards regional or local development (Docherty

Consulting, 2012).

Community benefits refer to ‘some form of additional, positive provisions for

the area and people affected by major development’, and since a range of

community benefits exists, they are broadly categorised into local

contracting and jobs, benefits in kind, community funds as well as community

or local ownership (Cowell et al., 2011, The Fermanagh Trust, 2012). Others

classify benefits according to their proposed impacts (Figure 2). Among

benefits in kind are improvements that are made to local infrastructure

whereas benefits from community funds refer to payments that are directed

into a fund and then used for community projects (The Fermanagh Trust,

2012). There are various ways in which community funds can be

administered, and in South Africa the most common arrangement among RE

IPPPP developers appears to be community trust (Tait et al., 2013).

9

Figure 2. Potential nature of community benefits. Source: Jones, 2012.

Community ownership involves different ownership models, specifically, full

and part ownership as well joint ventures and co-operatives. While

community ownership can present large socio-economic and environmental

opportunities to local people, at the same time it demands time and

commitments as well as often expertise in setting-up and running of projects

(The Fermanagh Trust, 2012). Community ownership of renewable energy is

quite widespread in Denmark and Germany (Cowell et al., 2011), and in

recent years, has been promoted in Scotland in order to derive greater

benefits and ensure more successful implementation of renewable energy

developments (Gubbins, 2010).

2.4 Renewable energy contributions to local sustainability

Renewable energy can deliver multiple socio-economic benefits and

therefore contribute towards sustainable development on both national and

local levels. While implementation of renewable energy technologies on the

10

national level can ensure a more secure energy supply and reduced

atmospheric pollution, on the local level benefits tend to include regional

and rural development as well as decentralised employment opportunities

and local capacity building (del Rio and Burguillo, 2008). Del Rio and Burguillo

(2008) propose that renewable energy contributions to local sustainability

can be looked at through substantive sustainability and procedural

sustainability lenses. Substantive sustainability refers to the improvements of

socio-economic as well as environmental conditions of the particular

community, territory or region while procedural sustainability pertains to the

inclusive participation process which takes into account opinions and

interests of all stakeholders (del Rio and Burguillo, 2008). Similarly, Devine-

Wright (2011) reiterates this idea, suggesting that public engagement is one

of the core elements of sustainable development, and can ‘lead to better

ends’ (Devine-Wright, 2011). Del Rio and Burguillo (2008) also elaborate on

the idea that procedural sustainability not only takes into account opinions

and interests but also involves exploring perceptions around project and its

benefits as well as how those benefits are distributed (del Rio and Burguillo,

2008).

Local benefits of renewable energy, including those delivered through

community benefits schemes, are particularly important in South African

context. Local economic development (LED) is a widely practised

development strategy in the global North, yet it is only gaining prominence in

the global South (Nel, 2001). It is best summarised as ‘management of existing

resources by local government and/or community-based organisations in

partnerships with private sector to create jobs and stimulate economic

activity in the area’ (Nel, 2001). In South Africa, local government is

mandated to promote local economic and social development by the

Constitution and the Municipal Systems Act 32 of 2000 (Nel and Binns, 2010).

In such context, renewable energy can help the government to meet its

obligation around local development as creation of more localised socio-

11

economic opportunities can contribute towards addressing some of the

developmental challenges that are prevalent in South Africa.

2.5 Importance of engagement and communication around renewable

energy

Public engagement in renewable energy projects is an important factor

which can increase awareness and influence acceptance of renewable

energy technologies on a community or large scale levels (Rogers et al.,

2012). Misconceptions or lack of information arisen at planning or

implementation stages may increase opposition and hence present barriers

to renewable energy projects (Mallett, 2007, IEA, 2013). On the other hand,

greater public involvement in the project, either in ‘economic or political

aspects’ has been found to generate more positive opinions towards

renewable energy projects (Devine-Wright, 2005). In the United Kingdom,

community engagement is seen as a crucial component to the increased

deployment of renewable energy technologies, and can prompt ‘lower

costs, fewer delays and less uncertainty’ (Barnett et al., 2012).

The literature around public engagement identifies three types of

engagement, namely communication, consultation and participation, and

they differ in the ways information flows (Devine-Wright, 2011, Barnett et al.,

2012). While communication entails one-way information flow to the public

where no feedback is sought, consultation and participation are two-way

flow processes, with the latter involving dialogue between the parties to allow

transformation of opinions (Barnett et al., 2012). Devine-Wright (2009)

identifies public engagement with renewable energy technologies as a

dynamic process, with different intersections, where engagement actions

take place on the national and regional as well as local levels (Figure 3)

(Devine-Wright, 2009). Promotion of effective and rapid renewable

technologies deployment and realising renewable energy potential requires

12

public support which can be ensured through the promotion of context-

specific engagement strategies and information sharing channels.

Figure 3. Conceptual framework of public engagement with renewable energy technologies. Source:

Devine-Wright, 2009.

Mechanisms for engagement and information provision have to be adapted

to specific context and take into account social and cultural realities of

particular communities. However, communities are rarely culturally and

politically homogenous systems, and hence religious, ethnical or factional

identities should be attended (Mansuri and Rao, 2004). Communicating

information around climate change involves identifying specific

subpopulations and designing tailored communication strategies (Bostrom et

al., 2013). In the context of climate change, those strategies consider three

aspects of identity, namely fundamental motivations and values, people’s

social context and people’s particular characteristics (Bostrom et al., 2013),

and similar take on communication could be applied to the context of

13

renewable energy. Developing an effective and successful communication

campaign requires executing pre-campaign research in order to gain better

insights into target audiences (IEA, 2013). The process entails gathering

understanding of the community’s attitudes, beliefs and behaviours around

renewable energy, and could include in-depth studies into the existing levels

of knowledge and perceptions around renewable energy as well as

information dissemination sources and channels (IEA, 2013).

Greater public engagement is among the factors which can facilitate

community development. Participation and active involvement in planning

and decision-making processes allow building motivation and community

capacity, which are important for community development (Cavaye, 2006).

The RE IPPPP in South Africa is designed in such a way so as to promote

development in South Africa, and since there is great focus on how to

provide benefits to communities that could make real positive impacts, social

aspect of development should not be forgotten. Development is not just

about economic development but community development as well, which

among other factors include community participation as a means to

empower communities and build stronger civil society structures (McEwan,

2003). Participation is also known as an element of social sustainability (del Rio

& Burguillo, 2008), which can contribute towards local sustainability and

improve welfare of local people.

2.6 Acceptance, engagement and knowledge

South Africa could be seen as a country with dual economy: the first

economy which resembles some of the developed countries in terms of

market development or socio-economic infrastructures whereas in the

second economy, high unemployment, poor health and inadequate

education prevail (Biekpe, 2009). For example, South Africa is highly ranked

worldwide in terms of the accountability around private institutions (2nd in the

world) or the development of its financial markets (3rd in the word), whereas

14

in terms of the quality of education (146th in the world) or labour market

efficiency (116th in the world), it performs quite poorly (World Economic

Forum, 2013). Therefore, given such realities in South Africa, it becomes

important to look how aspects of social acceptance examined in this study

play out in both more matured renewable energy markets, which tend to be

found in developed countries, as well as in developing nations.

2.6.1 In developed countries

Many developed nations have committed to ambitious emissions reductions

targets, and therefore, renewable energy in the total energy mix in these

countries continues to increase (Enerdata, 2013). As discussed above, when

deploying renewable energy technologies, it is important to consider public

acceptance with its different aspects. Levels of knowledge and support

around renewable energy technologies generally have been found to be

high, yet they vary among different nations and types of technologies.

However, when attitudes and acceptance of renewable energy projects are

considered on the local (project) level, they can often be opposite to that of

the general public (Zoellner et al., 2008), as they are influenced by public

engagement and communication between communities and renewable

energy developers.

Studies examining public opinions towards renewable energy have found

that public support was quite high in countries like the United Kingdom (UK),

the United States (US), the Netherlands as well as Greece or Sweden (TNS,

2003, European Commission, 2007 Wolsink, 2007, Devine-Wright, 2007),

however, support varied when specific technologies were considered. For

instance, wind energy technologies tend to incur great amount of negative

responses mainly because of the perceptions that accompany wind projects

in one’s neighbourhood (Krohn and Damborg, 1999, Warren et al., 2005).

These negative impacts that are perceived to occur in close proximity to the

proposed wind farms form the Not-In-My-Back-Yard (NIMBY) attitude.

Although NIMBYism is an important factor to be considered in examining

15

social acceptance of renewable energy projects, specifically wind farms,

alone it does not explain public opposition (Wolsink, 2007, Warren and

McFayden, 2010), especially as it often presents resistance against a

particular project and not against renewable energy technologies

themselves (Wolsink, 2000). NIMBYism is a complex, multi-dimensional

phenomenon (Owens and Driffill, 2008), and since it is not the focus of this

study, it will not be examined in greater depth.

Another factor that influences the way the public perceive renewable

energy projects and renewable energy technologies is communication and

public involvement in planning and development processes (Warren and

McFayden, 2010, Upreti and van der Horst, 2004). Lack of engagement and

communication with the public may result in developed mistrust towards the

project, and in the end could lead to failure of the development. This was the

case in a proposed biomass plant in the UK, where local residents were not

sufficiently consulted and their concerns were not adequately addressed

(Upreti and van der Horst, 2004). The way public engagement is carried out

can influence public’s perceptions around benefits and fairness in their

distribution, and these factors also ultimately affect social acceptance

(Gross, 2007). Perceived lack of justice in wind energy developments in

Germany has contributed towards negative attitudes among local residents

because they perceived that political decisions makers have formed

alliances with private companies (Devine-Wright, 2007). The highlighted

examples from developed countries illustrate the role engagement and

communication play in shaping public’s opinions around renewable energy

projects, and how these in turn can influence the overall success of

developments.

Studies examining knowledge of low carbon technologies in developed

countries tend to capture public awareness and understanding on the

societal level, and mixed results emerge from various countries. Surveys

carried out in individual countries discovered that levels of knowledge

around renewable energy technologies, especially around more recognised

16

and mature one likes wind or solar, are quite high (Devine-Wright, 2007).

However, the study on public knowledge and perceptions of energy in the

European Union (EU) found that only 14% of the respondents when

questioned about the most important energy issues mentioned renewable

energy (European Commission, 2007). A public survey examining knowledge

and attitudes in Britain has found that 76% of the respondents were able to

identify at least one renewable energy source when questioned (TNS, 2003)

whereas Reiner et al. (2006) indicate that 69% of the respondents have heard

of wind energy (Reiner et al., 2006). High levels of knowledge of wind energy

have also been found in the US, Sweden and Japan (Reiner et al., 2006)

whereas in Greece 87.6% and 86% of the questioned high school teachers

knew of wind and solar energy technologies correspondingly (Liarakou et al.,

2009).

Awareness of newer low carbon technologies such as carbon capture and

storage or ocean energy in general has been found to be low in many

developed countries like Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, the UK, the US

and Sweden (Reiner et al., 2006, European Commission, 2007). Overall, it was

discovered that the public relates better to the specific renewable energy

technologies or resources instead of the actual term (Devine-Wright, 2007).

Developed countries generally present high levels of knowledge and

understanding around renewable energy, especially more mature ones, yet

that does not always translates to high support for renewable energy projects

on the ground.

2.6.2 and in developing nations

Developing countries, similarly to developed nations, are increasingly

implementing renewable energy technologies, especially as multiple socio-

economic benefits such as job creation or economic development can be

realised whilst mitigating climate change (Sathaye et al., 2011). Knowledge,

perceptions and acceptance vary across developing nations. Levels of

knowledge around renewable energy, in particular biomass, have been

found to be low among university students in China, yet measures of social

17

acceptance indicated high support for renewable energy (Qu et al., 2011).

Similar trends to those of urban China have been also observed among rural

Chinese dwellers (Liu et al., 2013). Respondents in other developing countries

such as Jordan also demonstrated high acceptance of renewable energy

and presented high levels of knowledge, yet in India while the public

generally were supportive of renewable energy, levels of knowledge and

awareness were rather low (Zyadin et al., 2012, Mercom Capital Group,

2011). Gender has been found to affect levels of knowledge in Jordan

(Zyadin et al., 2012), yet did not have significant influence in China (Qu et al.,

2011) or Turkey (Halder et al., 2012). Qu et al. (2011) proposes that by

understanding public’s attitudes and knowledge it is possible to identify the

constraints to renewable energy deployment and address them in the

decision-making process (Qu et al., 2011).

Similarly to developed countries, communication and public engagement

has also been found to play a role in the success of renewable energy

projects in developing countries. In South Africa, the proposed biodiesel plant

in the province of Eastern Cape was not constructed because of conflicts

and objections from local communities (Amigun et al., 2011). Such situation

has largely arisen because of lack of information and knowledge around the

proposed plant and its benefits while perceived risks of the project such as

water pollution or land use changes were not adequately addressed

(Amigun et al., 2011). Inadequate Information provision and lack of

knowledge have also been found to be a barrier to biogas implementation in

South Africa (Boyd, 2012) whereas lack of awareness has been indicated as

one of the factors which have affected social acceptance of low carbon

technologies in Mexico (Mallett, 2007). Insufficient stakeholder involvement

has caused delays in the implementation of landfill-gas project in Durban,

South Africa, highlighting the need for public engagement around

technologies as such processes allow people to express their expectations

and perceptions, and thus facilitate project implementation on the ground

(Thorne, 2008).

18

Another factor that is important to consider in the context of public

acceptance of renewable energy projects in developing nations is ability to

recognise benefits that can be derived. Similarly to failed biodiesel plant in

South Africa, where public had limited information on the benefits of the

project, the public survey in India has revealed that more should be done in

terms of educating population around benefits that renewable energy can

provide, especially in rural communities (Mercom Capital Group, 2011).

According to Zyadin et al. (2012), some indirect benefits from renewable

energy projects may only be realised on the long-term basis (Zyadin et al.,

2012), and therefore public has to be educated and informed in order to

avoid conflicts.

3. Methodology

3.1 Study area

Matzikama Local Municipality (hereafter Matzikama municipality) is a local

municipality which forms part of the West Coast District Municipality and is

located in the Northern Part of the Western Cape Province, South Africa

(Figure 4). The municipality covers 14,000 km2, including 18 towns and villages,

and the area is characterised by an arid environment, with good water

supply from Olifants River (Matzikama Municipality, 2012).

19

The municipality is home to

67,000 residents, who

predominantly speak Afrikaans

(91.8% of the population)

(Statistics South Africa, 2013). The

area which largely derives its

economy from agricultural,

fishing and forestry activities is

characterised by high levels of

unemployment as only 52% of

the population have full-time

jobs as well as high levels of

inequality (Matzikama

Municipality, 2012). As a result,

almost 32% live in poverty while

literacy rate and levels of education

are also correspondingly low

(Matzikama Municipality, 2012). One of the key challenges besides those

highlighted above is low community involvement in the processes that occur

in the municipality (Matzikama Municipality, 2012). Matzikama municipality in

its Integrated Development Plan 2012-2017 identifies economic

development, skills and capacity building as well as promotion of better

communication and information dissemination as some of the key focus

areas to address the mentioned concerns (Matzikama Municipality, 2012).

Matzikama municipality has good availability of wind and solar resources,

with medium solar radiation and average wind speeds of 4-5 m/s, and

therefore has great potential for renewable energy developments, especially

in its southern part (Matzikama Municipality, 2013). Currently four renewable

energy projects are approved, and other six are at various pre-approval

stages (Matzikama Municipality, 2013). From those approved, in construction

Figure 4. Location of communities and

renewable energy sites in Matzikama

Municipality, Western Cape. Source: Grete

Simanauskaite, ArcGIS 10.1, 2014.

20

up to this date are only two: 10 MW Vredendal solar farm and 100 MW Sere

wind farm. The wind farm is developed by a state-owned electricity

company ESKOM, and local benefits component of the RE IPPPP scheme

does not apply to this project whereas the Vredendal solar farm has an

obligation to provide for economic and community development

(Conversation with Lionel Phillips, 2013)1. In the context of this study, it is also

worth mentioning that there has been little engagement with the public and

information dissemination around renewable energy projects, apart from the

public meetings as part of the environmental impact assessment process,

which were actually poorly attended (Conversation with Lionel Phillips, 2013).

Given high levels of unemployment and poverty in the municipality as well as

little public engagement, people have associated renewable energy

development with job creation, and their expectations not being met have

already resulted in some unrest within the municipality (Conversation with

Lionel Phillips, 2013).

3.2 Data collection

The most appropriate data collection method that was identified and used in

this study was a survey method, which employs questionnaires to collect

information on opinions, trends or attitudes (May, 2011:95). Use of this method

in capturing information around public knowledge, attitudes or acceptance

around renewable energy is found in the wealth of literature, such as

Liarakou et al., (2009), Upreti and van der Horst (2004), Zoellner et al. (2008),

Warren et al. (2005), to name a few. On the other hand, Devine-Wright (2007)

criticises use of surveys in empirical studies as surveys are more descriptive

and do not provide detailed explanation of factors behind the attitudes

(Devine-Wright, 2007). Such notion is reiterated by Demski (2011) who

presents the argument that surveys fail to ‘adequately explain the nature and

complexity of perceptions’ (Demski, 2011). However, as the aim of this study

1 Conversation with Lionel Phillips, who is LED/IDP manager for the Matzikama municipality, took place

on 19th of June, 2013 in Cape Town.

21

was to explore existing levels of knowledge, perceptions and engagement

around renewable energy in Matzikama municipality and not to provide an

in-depth analysis of factors shaping public acceptance, survey method was

considered to be appropriate to achieve the objectives of this research.

Surveys involved face-to-face interactions, with each survey lasting between

15-20 minutes to complete. The questionnaires consisted of both open-ended

and closed-ended questions. Open-ended and closed-ended questions

complement each other, and such approach which combines both types of

questions allows capturing quantitative responses while providing some in-

depth insights into the topic (Warren et al., 2005). This was the case in this

study as closed-ended questions were primarily used to capture opinions,

knowledge and information sharing channels whereas open-ended questions

allowed gaining insights into those aspects. Questions around opinions were

presented on the Likert scale, which is in accordance with other studies

capturing attitudes and opinions (May, 2011:111).

Questionnaires from the UK and the EU which captured public’s knowledge,

engagement and opinions around energy (European Commission, 2007, TNS,

2003) were used as templates in designing the questions for the questionnaire

of this study. Since there were no surveys of similar topic conducted in South

Africa before, surveys from the UK and the EU had to be used as a starting

point for questionnaire design whilst recognising that there might be some

limitations as the context in which surveys were carried out differs. The key

sections that the survey consisted of were:

1. Socio-demographic profile of respondent

2. Understanding and awareness of energy issues and renewable energy

3. Perceptions and expectations around renewable energy and its

benefits

4. Engagement with renewable energy and communication channels

The questionnaire was produced both in English and Afrikaans in order to

reduce limitations presented by language, and where possible, a translator

22

was used. However, the person was not always available to assist with

surveys, and therefore, given the lack of comprehension of Afrikaans

language by the researcher of this study, where translator was not available,

questions to respondents had to be presented in English. If participants did

not understand a question, they were able to read it in Afrikaans, and that

seemed to be sufficient for most respondents. Also, majority of respondents

opted to complete the section of the questionnaire which consisted only of

closed-ended questions in their native language. While data collected

through surveys was sufficient for this study, it is imperative to recognise that

lack of sufficient comprehension of Afrikaans language, which is spoken in

the area, could have introduced some limitations or subconscious biases

towards approaching respondents who could at least minimally

communicate in English.

3.3 Pilot visit

A three day pilot visit was conducted before undertaking the actual study.

The pilot visit had threefold aims which included identifying communities

where surveys will be carried out and identifying key people in those

communities as well as pre-testing the questionnaire.

Four different communities in the Matzikama municipality, which are located

within 50 km radius of the proposed Vredendal solar farm (which has an

obligation to deliver local benefits) and of the Sere wind farm (does not have

obligation of local benefits), were identified based on their income levels.

While the identified communities were by no means homogenous in terms of

their income levels, nevertheless, the more affluent ones were Vredendal and

Lutzville communities whereas the less affluent - Vredendal Noord and

Lutzville Uitkyk communities. The choice on communities was made by visual

inspection of communities and also based on information from the

Matzikama Spatial Development Framework (Matzikama Municipality, 2013).

The Framework outlines that Vredendal (Vredendal South) community is of

higher income levels compared to Vredendal Noord whereas Lutzville Uitkyk

community, which could also be regarded as a segment of the greater

23

Lutzville population, is home to people of lower income levels. It is also worth

mentioning that Vredendal solar farm is located in Vredendal Noord while

the site for Sere wind farm is about 8 km outside the town of Lutzville (See

Figure 4 in section 3.1)

The list with people from each identified community who would be willing to

participate in the research or who were more prominent members in those

communities was obtained from the municipality IDP manager. Then three

respondents from the list were interviewed in both Vredendal Noord and

Lutzville Uitkyk communities in order to pre-test the questionnaire. While no

major changes were made after the pilot survey in terms of the questions

asked, structure of the survey was changed to reduce limitations that could

arise as a result of language barrier.

3.4 Sampling strategy

The target was to survey 60 respondents, which would equally represent four

identified communities or 15 respondents from each. At the outset, people

from the list provided by the IDP manager were contacted and meetings

with them were arranged. Subsequently, more respondents were identified

using a snowball sampling technique, by asking respondents to provide

contact details of the people they knew, who could also undertake the

survey. However, at some point data collection strategy had to be changed

because people, especially from Lutzville and Lutzville Uitkyk communities

continued to fail to attend meetings for various reasons, and such situation

kept recurring. As an alternative, the strategy which involved approaching

people in these communities and asking them to participate in the study had

to be employed. Such change in strategy potentially could have led to the

outcome that quite a few respondents who come from Lutzville community

have their own businesses or work in town.

24

3.5 Data analysis

This study was rather descriptive in its nature, and therefore sought to depict

as accurate ‘picture of the reality’ as possible (Sonquist and Dunkelberg,

1977: 356). Collected quantitative data from closed-ended questions was

analysed with the use of descriptive statistics, and was mainly summarised in

the form of graphs and tables. In some instances, where relationships

between various parameters were examined (e.g. education, employment),

responses were coded and analysed with the use contingency tables and

Fisher’s test. Responses to open-ended questions were investigated through

inductive analysis, which allows discovering patterns, categories and themes

in the data (Patton, 2002: 453). Such technique was appropriate for the

analysis of qualitative data in this study as it enabled to elucidate the

underlying categories and in some cases themes which complemented

quantitative information.

4. Results

4.1 Socio-demographic profile of respondents

In total, 60 respondents were interviewed as part of this research, and they

equally represented four communities, Vredendal, Vredendal Noord, Lutzville

and Lutzville Uitkyk. Out of 60 respondents, 55% were males while the

remaining 45% were females. Gender distribution as can be seen from Figure

5 is relatively equal in different communities, with the exception in Lutzville,

where only 20% females were interviewed.

25

Figure 5. Gender distribution of respondents in different communities in Matzikama municipality.

Participants from different communities presented a range of different ages,

which constituted six age categories as can be seen from Figure 6. The

youngest participants were in the age category of 16-24 years while the

oldest – of 65+ years. The respondents were chosen in a random manner, and

therefore age, like gender, while is not perfectly equally distributed,

represents all categories.

Figure 6. Distribution of different age groups among different communities in Matzikama municipality.

Attainment of grade 12 was the highest level education achieved by the

greatest number of respondents, specifically 24 (Figure 7).

3

12

8 7 9

6 7 8

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male

Lutzville Lutzville Uitkyk Vredendal Vredendal Noord

Gender of respondents

2

4

2

3 3

1

6

3

4

2

4

5

2

3

1

7

4

1 1 1 1

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

16

-24

25

-34

35

-44

45

-54

55

-64

65

+

16

-24

25

-34

35

-44

45

-54

16

-24

25

-34

35

-44

45

-54

55

-64

16

-24

25

-34

35

-44

45

-54

55

-64

65

+


Age of respondents

26

Figure 7. Respondents’ highest level of education.

Most respondents have achieved grade 12 education in Vredendal Noord

and Lutzville Uitkyk communities, where 73% and 47% of respondents have

achieved it respectively (Figure 8). The highest level of qualifications, Honour’s

degree, was achieved by 1 respondent in each Lutzville, Lutzville Uitkyk and

Vredendal communities while the lowest levels of qualifications, namely

grade 7, was also achieved by only 1 respondent from Vredendal Noord.

Figure 8. Highest levels of education achieved by respondents from different communities.

83% of respondents that participated in this research said that they were

employed. Majority of employed people were employed on a full-time basis

7%

11%

20%

40%

2%

15%

5%

Highest level of education

Bachelor's degree

Bachelor's degreeand diploma

Certificate/diploma

Grade 12

Grade 7

Grade 8-11

Honour's degree

7%

27% 27% 13%

20% 7%

13%

47% 33%

7% 20%

13%

33% 27%

7% 7% 7%

73%

7% 7%

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%

Bac

he

lor'

s d

egre

e

Bac

he

lor'

s d

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e an

dd

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ma

Cer

tifi

cate

/dip

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a

Gra

de

12

Gra

de

8-1

1

Ho

no

ur'

s d

egre

e

Cer

tifi

cate

/dip

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a

Gra

de

12

Gra

de

8-1

1

Ho

no

ur'

s d

egre

e

Bac

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lor'

s d

egre

e

Bac

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lor'

s d

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dd

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/dip

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12

Ho

no

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Bac

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/dip

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a

Gra

de

12

Gra

de

7

Gra

de

8-1

1


Highest level of education

27

while 10% of all the respondents were not employed and not seeking

employment either (Figure 9).

Figure 9. Employment levels of respondents in Matzikama municipality.

Participants who were from Vredendal and Lutzville communities said that

100% and 73% of them were employed respectively as can be seen from

Figure 10. 20% of people were self-employed in Lutzville, the result which

could be potentially attributed to the change of sampling strategy during the

research, when people were questioned in town. Unemployment of those

seeking employment was higher in Lutzville Uitkyk and Vredendal Noord

communities, 20% and 7% of respondents respectively.

75%

3%

5%

7%

10% Employment

Employed

Employed (contract)

Self-employed

Unemployed - seekingemployment

Unemployed-not seekingemployment

28

Figure 10. Employment of respondents from different communities.

4.2 Knowledge of renewable energy

Initially, respondents were asked to name the biggest electricity issues in

South Africa to identify their greatest concerns about electricity and energy.

While people were not asked to provide a specific number of issues, 28

respondents managed to specify two or more issues that are pertinent to the

energy sector in South Africa. The recognised issues were classed into three

categories, which encompassed issues caused by human behaviour,

operational issues and strategic issues (Figure 11). Human behaviour caused

issues related to energy wastage, crime and theft around electricity from the

grid and of cables as well as the fact that electricity is dangerous and people

can get shocked; operational issues pertained to the unsteady supply of

energy production, including load shedding and cut-offs of power, as well as

the mismanagement of the supply and infrastructure by ESKOM; while

strategic issues referred to high cost of electricity and the fact that South

Africa has untapped potential, yet uses resources which are exhaustible and

cause pollution.

73%

20% 7%

60%

20% 20%

100%

67%

13% 7% 13%

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%Em

plo

yed

Self

-em

plo

yed

Un

em

plo

yed

-no

t se

eki

ng

emp

loym

en

t

Emp

loye

d

Un

em

plo

yed

- s

eeki

ng

emp

loym

en

t

Un

em

plo

yed

-no

t se

eki

ng

emp

loym

en

t

Emp

loye

d

Emp

loye

d

Emp

loye

d (

con

trac

t)

Un

em

plo

yed

- s

eeki

ng

emp

loym

en

t

Un

em

plo

yed

-no

t se

eki

ng

emp

loym

en

t


Employment

29

A single biggest issue identified by 41% of respondents was the unsteady

supply of energy production while the second biggest was the high cost of

electricity, specified by 25% of participants.

Figure 11. Proportion of respondents that identified specific issues around electricity in South Africa.

Respondents’ awareness of renewable energy was examined at both

spontaneous and prompted awareness levels. Spontaneous awareness was

measured by asking respondents to specify electricity sources that they know

of while prompted awareness was evaluated by providing participants with

the list of electricity sources and asking them to indicate those which they

have heard of.

When spontaneous awareness was examined, the greatest number

respondents, specifically 58%, identified wind as a source of electricity (Figure

12). Interestingly, while the overall ability to identify electricity sources was not

very high, more respondents were able to identify renewable energy sources

such as wind (58%), sun (43%) or water (37%) than conventional sources like

nuclear power (28%) or natural gas (3%), with the exception of coal (47%).

Strategic issues

Operational issues

Human behaviour

25%

2% 4% 4%

41%

5% 4% 2% 6% 3% 2%

Cost

Untapped potential Exhaust resources

Pollution

Unsteady supply (cut-offs & load shedding)

Mismanagement

Theft Dangerous

Energy misuse

Uneven units Don't know

Biggest electricity related issues in South Africa

30

While the introduction to this study suggested participants that they will be

asked questions about renewable energy, this factor alone could not have

produced observed results around spontaneous awareness.

Figure 12. Spontaneous awareness around renewable energy sources

Among other sources that participants have identified as electricity sources

are diesel plants (1 respondent), batteries (2 respondents), ESKOM (8

respondents) and the municipality (2 respondents). The latter two are not

electricity sources: ESKOM is a generator, transmitter and distributor of

electricity while municipality is electricity distributor in the Matzikama

municipal area. 7 respondents answered ‘Don’t know’, indicating lack of

knowledge of any electricity sources.

When spontaneous awareness was compared in different communities,

respondents in Lutzville and Vredendal were able to identify more electricity

sources, both renewable and non-renewable ones (Figure 13). On average,

over 55% of respondents in Lutzville and Vredendal were able to identify such

sources as coal, water, nuclear, sun and wind while only 30% of participants

in Lutzville Uitkyk and Vredendal Noord managed to recognise these sources.

Similarly, while all respondents in Vredendal and Lutzville managed to identify

58%

43%

28%

37%

3%

5%

2%

2%

2%

47%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80%

Mention wind

Mention sun/sun panels/CSP/solar geysers

Mention nuclear/Koeberg station

Mention water/Hydroelectricity

Mention gas

Mention biomass

Mention tide

Mention waves

Mention fracking in the Karoo

Mention coal

Spontaneous awareness of electricity sources

31

at least one electricity source, even 23% of respondents in Vredendal Noord

and Lutzville did not manage to specify any sources.

Figure 13. Levels of awareness of renewable energy sources in different communities. (Spontaneous

awareness)

When prompted awareness was examined, awareness of renewable energy

sources has considerably increased as shown in Figure 14. Noticeably more

respondents indicated that they have heard of various renewable energy

sources: between 25-32% of respondents said that they have heard of such

sources as biofuels, sewage gas, waste, and biomass when in testing

spontaneous awareness none of the respondents managed to identify them.

What prompted awareness has also revealed is that over 70% of respondents

have heard of more mature renewable energy sources such as wind, water

and sun as well as conventional sources of fossil fuels. Such results indicate

that while a lot of respondents knew renewable energy sources on

prompting, generally, renewable energy sources are not in their minds.

47%

30%

13%

27%

3%

7%

3%

3%

17%

33%

70%

57%

43%

47%

3%

3%

3%

3%

3%

10%

60%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

Mention wind/wind farms

Mention sun/sun panels/CSP/solar geysers

Mention nuclear/Koeberg sttion

Mention water/Hydroelectricity

Mention gas

Mention biomass

Mention tide

Mention waves

Mention fracking in the Karoo

Mention municipality

Mention ESKOM

Mention coal

Spontaneous awareness of electricity sources in different communities

Lutzville & Vredendal

Lutzville Uitkyk &Vredendal Noord

32

Figure 14. Prompted and spontaneous awareness of energy sources in Matzikama municipality.

When prompted and spontaneous awareness was compared in different

areas, it can be seen from Figure 15 that in all instances prompted awareness

was much higher than spontaneous awareness. Equally, prompted

awareness like spontaneous awareness was much higher in Lutzville and

Vredendal communities than in Lutzville Uitkyk and Vredendal Noord.

Figure 15. Spontaneous and prompted awareness of renewable energy sources in different

communities.

58%

47%

37%

43%

2%

2%

5%

28%

3%

95%

93%

73%

95%

20%

27%

25%

33%

27%

32%

73%

45%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Wind

Coal

Water

Sun

Tide

Wave

Biomass

Waste

Sewage gas

Biofuels

Nuclear

Natural gas

Prompted & spontaneous awareness of electricity sources

Prompted awareness

Spontaneousawareness

100% 93%

73% 100%

30% 33%

30% 47%

37% 40%

90% 60%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 120%

Wind

Water

Tide

Biomass

Sewage gas

Nuclear

Prompted and spontaneous awareness in different areas

Prompted awareness Lutzville Uitkyk& Vredendal Noord

Prompted awareness Lutzville &Vredendal

Spontaneous awareness LutzvilleUitkyk & Vredendal Noord

Spontaneous awareness Lutzville &Vredendal

33

It was discovered that knowledge of renewable energy on prompting

differed significantly between the more and less affluent communities (Table

1). What is more, this study has revealed that both tertiary qualifications

(certificate/diploma and above) and employment significantly affect

knowledge levels, i.e. those with tertiary education or who are currently

employed had significantly greater levels of knowledge around renewable

energy.

Table 1. Associations between knowledge on prompting of various renewable energy sources and

employment, tertiary education as well as affluence of the area. Confidence interval is 95%. For

contingency tables which were used to produce these associations, see Appendix 1.

Employment

Tertiary

education

Affluence of

communities

Wind 0.219 0.953 0.859

Water 0.484 0.819 1

Sun 0.285 0.953 0.859

Tide 0.251 0.354 0.590

Wave 0.098 0.484 0.646

Biomass

0.312 0.749

Waste 0.749 0.115 0.141

Sewage

gas 0.484 0.339 0.484

Biofuels 0.457 0.278 0.457

Describing the term ‘renewable energy’ was quite challenging for

respondents. 37% of participants explained term ‘renewable energy’ in terms

of its sustainability and continuity, 22% and 20% of respondents described it as

wind power and solar power respectively (Figure 16). In general, knowledge

of the term ‘renewable energy’ is quite low, however, as only 9 respondents

did not manage to specify any attributes of renewable energy, one could

not say that people have not heard the term before either. It appears that

respondents are able to describe renewable energy to some extent, yet such

knowledge is not comprehensive.

34

Figure 16. Summary of responses regarding understanding of term ‘renewably energy’.

When asked to indicate their levels of knowledge most often respondents

said that they know ‘a little’ of all the renewable energy sources that they

were prompted with (Figure 17). Sources that the greatest number of

respondents knew of ‘a little’ were more matured technologies such as

onshore wind, solar power & hydroelectric. It was also observed on several

occasions that participants found it difficult to distinguish between the

onshore and offshore wind, especially as offshore wind is a type of

technology that is not present in South Africa yet.

35

Figure 17. Levels of knowledge around different renewable energy sources among different

communities.

Almost all respondents, specifically 58, indicated that they would like to know

more of renewable energy technologies. Even 22 participants said that they

would like to know more of onshore wind, 21 of solar power and 19 of both

offshore wind and wave power.

4.2.1 Key findings

Participants of this study identified that their own knowledge of renewable

energy and its sources is limited; such outcomes are in line with the levels of

awareness that were observed. Respondents from Vredendal and Lutzville

communities displayed significantly higher levels of knowledge on prompting

around renewable energy than those from Vredendal Noord and Lutzville

Uitkyk. Employment and tertiary education were found to be significant

factors to influence the levels of knowledge. Overall, respondents indicated

that they would like to improve their knowledge of renewable energy and of

renewable energy sources.

10% 3% 3% 3% 7% 3% 3% 3% 3% 7% 10% 7% 17%

7% 7% 3% 13% 7%

33% 67%

20% 43% 30% 40% 27% 37% 27%

43% 30% 37%

53% 73%

23% 40%

47% 67%

17%

7%

17%

10% 13% 7% 13% 7% 13%

7% 13% 10%

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Onshore windSewage gas Biomass Landfill gasOffshore windWave powerSolar power Tidal powerHydroelectric

Knowledge of different renewable energy technologies

Know alot

Know alittle

Knowvery little

Justheardthename

36

4.3 Perceptions around renewable energy

This study also encompassed information gathering about perceptions

around renewable energy. Respondents were enquired about their personal

opinion around renewable energy and its characteristics. Equally,

participants’ expectations and perceptions around benefits that renewable

energy could bring to local communities were also examined.

4.3.1 Opinions around renewable energy

Initially, respondents were asked to indicate their opinion around renewable

energy and whether they want it in their municipality. All 100% respondents

said that they would like to have renewable energy in the municipality, and

overall, personal opinion around renewable energy held by respondents from

different communities was positive (Figure 18). Only 5 respondents, who

came from Vredendal Noord and Lutzville Uitkyk indicated that they are

neutral about renewable energy, and not a single participant reported to

have negative opinions around renewable energy.

Figure 18. Personal opinion around renewable energy in different communities.

Renewable energy attributes that participants of this research were asked to

provide their opinion about were broadly classed into four categories,

10 9

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Lutzville Lutzville Uitkyk Vredendal VredendalNoord

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How do you personally feel about renewable energy?

Very positive

Fairly positive

Neutral

37

namely energy costs and availability, environmental impacts, impacts on

local communities and socio-economic development. Overall, respondents

hold positive opinions about attributes and impacts of renewable energy as

can be seen from figures below.

Over 80% of respondents were positive (strongly agreed or agreed) that

renewable energy can provide cheaper electricity and ensure continuous

and constant supply of electricity (Figure 19). Renewable energy can

contribute towards more sustained energy production, yet it is just one of the

ways to prevent future load shedding and power cut-offs. Quite big

proportion of participants in Matzikama municipality, namely 80%, believe

that renewable energy can reduce the price of electricity; and while it is not

apparent whether renewable energy can contribute towards lower prices,

such view is not supported only by 5% of respondents.

Figure 19. Opinions around renewable energy and electricity cost and availability.

Regarding the environmental impacts that renewable energy can introduce,

generally, majority of respondents agreed with the statement ‘electricity

produced in clean & efficient way’ as can be seen from Figure 20.

Renewable energy can have positive impacts on the environment in terms of

reduced pollution, however, wind turbines sometimes can cause harm to

wildlife such as birds. Interestingly, even 67% of respondents held an opinion

that renewable energy does not produce any negative environmental

impacts.

47% 50%

45% 30%

8% 15% 5%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Continuous & constantsupply

Lower costs

Opinions around renewable energy impacts on costs & availability

Strongly disagree

Disagree

Neutral

Agree

Strongly agree

38

Figure 20. Opinions around environmental impacts of renewable energy.

Respondents who took part in this research were at large (72%) of the opinion

that renewable energy does not have negative impacts on local

communities (Figure 21). It is interesting to observe that around 80% of

participants strongly agreed or agreed that communities can help to shape

renewable energy as well as renewable energy can increase sense of

togetherness for local communities. When enquired of whether communities

can have ownership of renewable energy, proportion of respondents who

agreed, disagreed and were neutral about the statement was similar,

specifically between 23%-27%. Such results regarding the ownership of

renewable energy is the only statement that respondents’ responses were so

varied.

42%

3%

43%

7%

13%

23%

2%

45%

22%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Electricity produced in clean &efficient way

Harmed environment &wildlife

Opinions around renewable energy & environment

Strongly disagree

Disagree

Neutral

Agree

Strongly agree

39

Figure 21. Opinions around renewable energy and impacts on local communities.

Respondents generally were positive about contributions of renewable

energy towards socio-economic development. More than 85% of all

participants either strongly agreed or agreed that renewable energy can

contribute towards job creation, improvement of local infrastructure, create

new business opportunities and facilitate development of new skills (Figure

22). Just one respondent for each attribute indicated that (s)he is ‘not sure’ of

the potential impacts; such answer was not even on the list provided.

Regarding job creation, majority of respondents agreed or strongly agreed

that renewable energy can create jobs, with only 10% of respondents holding

neutral opinions or disagreeing with the statement.

10% 28%

40% 27%

53% 40%

20%

28%

7% 18%

50%

23%

8% 22%

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100%

Negativeimpacts on

localcommunities

Localcommunities

can haveownership of

renewableenergy

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shaperenewable

energydevelopments

Increasedsense of

togethernessfor local

communities

Opinions around renewable energy & impacts on local communities

Strongly disagree

Disagree

Not sure

Neutral

Agree

Strongly agree

40

Figure 22. Opinions around renewable energy and contributions towards socio-economic

development.

4.3.2 Perceptions and expectations around benefits

Respondents were also asked to share their opinion regarding benefits that

renewable energy can bring to themselves and their communities.

Participants in all communities had very positive responses around renewable

energy benefits (Figure 23). Only 13% of respondents were neutral and

questioned the extent to which benefits will be delivered whereas the

remaining 87% were confident of the benefits.

52% 40% 45% 50%

38% 52% 43%

45%

5% 7% 10% 3% 3% -

0%

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Job creation Improvementof local

infrastructure

Creation ofnew businessopportunities

Developmentof new skills

Opinions around renewable energy & socio-economic development

Disagree

Not sure

Neutral

Agree

Strongly agree

41

Figure 23. Opinions around provision of benefits from renewable energy.

Expectations around benefits that renewable energy can provide were

captured by asking participants to specify which benefits they can think of.

While this question could have been influenced by previous questions,

especially those examining respondents’ opinions, nevertheless, such

question allowed people to elaborate on their responses.

Figure 24. Benefits that renewable energy can deliver, identified by respondents in Matzikama

municipality.

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Lutzville Lutzville Uitkyk Vredendal VredendalNoord

Can renewable energy bring benefits to you and your community?

Neutral

Agree

Strongly agree

55%

32%

2%

68%

2% 8%

15% 10%

2%

22%

5% 2% 0%

10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%

Benefits of renewable energy identified by respondents

42

As can be seen from Figure 24 above, job creation and cheaper electricity

were identified by the greatest amount of respondents. An interesting result is

the fact that about a fifth or 22% of all respondents questions benefits while

5% manages to identify disadvantages of renewable energy. Only 1

respondent could not identify anything, even given the information provided

in the previous questions of the survey.

Reduced costs of electricity and improved supply of electricity as benefits

were identified by 55% and 32% of respondents. Such perceived benefits

could address two of the biggest issues around electricity that respondents

have identified, high costs and unsteady supply with load shedding and

power cut-offs. Three respondents while having identified reduced electricity

cost as a potential benefit, simultaneously questioned of whether it will

actually bring cost savings for residents in Matzikama municipality:

‘Affordability is a question. Worried that costs of renewable energy will get

passed on to the end consumer’ (Respondent 39) or ‘end user will not get

benefits but will have to pay more’ (Respondent 5). Another two participants

believed that electricity costs will be reduced but only in the long-run: ‘at the

beginning it can be more expensive but in the end it will be cheaper’

(Respondent 43) or ‘can lower the costs of electricity but only in the long run’

(Respondent 25).

Among the identified socio-economic benefits, job creation was the biggest

one when compared to financial contributions or new business opportunities

and improved infrastructure. However, eight respondents expressed a

concern of whether renewable energy can actually create long-term jobs to

local people: ‘Not convinced yet. Wind energy project in construction phase

can create lots of employment but permanently only 7-8 people will be

employed’ (Respondent 23) or ‘temporary illusion that renewable energy

creates jobs but after the construction phases there will be no jobs’

(Respondent 17). One respondent identified disadvantage of renewable

energy and job creation, suggesting that ‘people come to the area from

places like Nyanga and Khayelitsha, looking for work. Then work does not go

43

to locals’ (Respondent 27). Likewise, another person said that financial

contributions only go to landowners, who are all white: ‘previously

disadvantage people get nothing’ (Respondent 19).

Very few respondents were able to specify benefits that renewable energy

can bring towards community development. Just six participants suggested

benefits of education or training while community togetherness and

empowerment were suggested only by 1 respondent. While renewable

energy can bring some positive benefits to communities, some respondents

also identified potential negative impacts. Respondent 30 mentioned that

people in the past protested regarding job creation in the area while

respondent 49 suggested that ‘ESKOM is responsible on the percentage of

benefits going to community’. One participant even proposed that

renewable energy will adversely change his/her town: ‘renewable energy

brings in different cultures, different people, different languages. Can have

increased crime, increased chances of robbery and it changes town’

(Respondent 27).

Five respondents identified environmental benefits that renewable energy

can bring such as reduced pollution or cleaner ways to produce energy. As

one respondent said ‘platteland community relies strongly on natural

resources like water and for farming they need to keep the environment as

clean as possible’ (Respondent 41).

In terms of the way benefits of renewable energy are perceived in different

communities, no noticeable differences were observed (Figure 25). The only

small differences in results are that only 2 and 3 respondents in Lutzville and

Vredendal respectively think that renewable energy can ensure stable supply

of electricity, 4 respondents in Lutzville think that renewable energy can make

the environment cleaner whereas even 8 respondents in Lutzville question the

extent of benefits. In terms of job creation and cheaper electricity, number of

respondents who expect these benefits was comparatively similar in different

communities.

44

Figure 25. Benefits from renewable energy identified by respondents from different communities.

4.3.3 Key findings

Respondents in Matzikama municipality in general had very positive opinions

around renewable energy. When questioned, majority of participants agreed

that renewable energy can bring improved energy availability and reduced

costs, can have positive impacts on the environment and contribute

positively towards socio-economic development. Likewise, people largely

had positive opinions around contribution renewable energy can have on

local communities, with the exception of more varied opinions around

ownership of renewable energy.

Participants in all communities had very positive responses around benefits

renewable energy can deliver. Among the benefits that were identified by

the greatest among of respondents were job creation, cheaper electricity as

well as improved supply of electricity. However, it is also important to note

that even 22% of respondents simultaneously questioned the extent of

benefits, especially around job creation, electricity prices and community

8 2

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Benefits of renewable energy identified by respondents

Vredendal Noord

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45

development. Perceptions of benefits of renewable energy did not

particularly vary among different examined communities.

4.4 Engagement, information sharing and communication around

renewable energy

4.4.1 Engagement and information sharing

To examine levels of engagement with renewable energy projects in

Matzikama municipality, respondents were first asked of whether they know

any projects in the area, and if so, which ones they are aware and whether

they have been involved in the projects.

70% of respondents said that they know of renewable energy projects in

Matzikama municipality. Respondents with highest levels of knowledge were

from Lutzville area (Figure 26).

Figure 26. Knowledge of specific renewable energy projects in Matzikama municipality.

Respondents from Lutzville also had the greatest knowledge of the wind farm

in Koekenaap which is in the close proximity to the community (Figure 27). On

the other hand, respondents from Lutzville Uitkyk community, which is also

within the similar proximity to the project, had lower awareness of the wind

farm.

93%

53%

73%

60%

Do you know any renewable energy projects in your area? Answered 'yes'

Lutzville

Lutzville Uitkyk

Vredendal

Vredendal Noord

46

Knowledge of solar project, located in Vredendal Noord, was much smaller

than of the Sere wind farm. The greatest number of participants who knew

about this project came from Vredendal Noord community, where the

project was implemented, Vredendal and Lutzville communities.

Figure 27. Knowledge of various renewable energy projects in Matzikama municipality.

Among other projects that respondents knew of were renewable energy

projects that are still in the pipeline such as wind farms in Draaihoek as well as

in Klawer (also in Matzikama municipality) area. Four respondents also

specified domestic renewable energy technologies such as solar geysers,

which are installed in some of the low-cost houses in Vredendal Noord

community.

78% of respondents also said that they have not been involved in renewable

energy projects to any extent. Those 13 who were involved specified that

their involvement was either through work or attendance of meetings: ‘Been

to a meeting with certain stakeholders & role players to find out how

people/community can benefit’ (Respondent 12) or ‘was finding out how

youth can get benefits from the projects’ (Respondent 25).

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Which renewable energy projects do you know of?

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Vredendal

Lutzville

Vredendal Noord

47

This study also examined levels of information around renewable energy

projects and benefits that the respondents feel they were provided with.

Generally, only 5% and 15% of respondents said that they were provided with

a lot and rather a lot information respectively around the projects (Figure 28).

Regarding information around benefits, even smaller proportion of

respondents were able to say that they provided a lot or rather a lot of

information.

Figure 28. Levels of information around renewable energy projects and benefits provided to

respondents.

When respondents were enquired about their sources of information around

renewable energy, it emerged that people found out about renewable

energy from traditional sources such as newspapers, internet, TV and radio,

as well as their own social networks, municipality information channels,

project developers as well as visual evidence (Figure 29).

The greatest amount of respondents said that they found out about

renewable energy and renewable energy projects from the local

newspaper, TV and friends and family. Interestingly, municipality information

channels, specifically newsletters, officers and meetings, informed only a

relatively small proportion of participants while project developers through

meetings and information releases have informed even fewer people.

48

Figure 29. Information sources where people actually have received information around renewable

energy.

In terms of information sources for renewable energy among different

communities, local newspaper was identified as the main source of

information in Lutzville and Vredendal communities, specifically for 53% and

33% of respondents correspondingly (Figure 30). Respondents in Lutzville Uitkyk

& Vredendal Noord communities identified TV as their main source of

information, namely 40% and 33% respectively. If more localised information

sources were examined, participants from Lutzville Uitkyk and Vredendal

Noord communities identified their social network, specifically friends and

family, as well as education received in schools as their primary sources of

information. What can be observed from such results around information

sources is that in different communities different sources were the most

effective in informing people.

28%

17%

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30%

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5%

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TV

Radio

Internet

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Education

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Municipal meeting

Municipality officers

Friends & friends

Work

People who are involved

Meetings

Information release

By seeing it

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Where did you hear about renewable energy?

49

Figure 30. Information sources for renewable energy in different communities.

4.4.2 Communicating renewable energy

This study also sought to discover information sharing channels that people

use to obtain news in the country, the world and in Matzikama municipality in

order to make communication around renewable energy more effective in

the future.

What can be observed from the results of this study, is that according to most

of the respondents, TV, newspaper, radio and Internet are among the main

sources of information for happenings in the country and the world (Figure

31). Local radio for this purpose is used much more by participants in

Vredendal and Lutzville communities, specifically 80% and 60% than those in

Lutzville Uitkyk and Vredendal Noord, 47% and 33% correspondingly. The

Internet as a source of information is used more extensively by communities in

Vredendal and Lutzville as well.

33%

7%

27%

7%

7%

7%

7%

40%

27%

20%

20%

20%

13%

7%

27%

27%

7%

33%

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7%

7%

7%

7%

27%

7%

13%

20%

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33%

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TV

Radio

Internet

Local newspaper/newspaper

Education

Municipality newsletter

Municipal meeting

Municipality officers

Friends & family

Work

People who are involved

Meetings with RE developers

Information release by RE developers

By seeing it

Where did you hear about renewable energy?

Vredendal

Lutzville

LutzvilleUitkyk

VredendalNoord

50

Figure 31. Proportion of respondents in each community that use various information sources to receive

news about events in the country and the world.

Local newspaper is the main information source for happenings in the

Matzikama municipality (Figure 32). In Vredendal and Vredendal Noord, all

interviewed respondents indicated that they read the Kontrei, local

newspaper in the area. TV or the Internet were used much less to receive

local news whereas a municipal newsletter and friends were used more as

sources to obtain local news compared to national and/or global news.

Interestingly, newsletter from the municipality was indicated by participants

from Lutzville Uitkyk and Vredendal Noord communities as the second most

important source of information, surpassed only by the local newspaper.

67%

33%

87%

33%

20%

33%

13% 7% 7%

73%

60% 60% 53%

27%

93%

80%

67%

27%

40%

7% 13% 13%

73%

47%

93%

40% 33%

20%

7%

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

Sources of information for news in the country and the world

Vredendal Noord

Lutzville

Vredendal

Lutzville Uitkyk

51

Figure 32. Proportion of respondents in each community that use various sources to obtain information

for happenings in the municipality.

Information sources to obtain news about happenings in the country and the

world were very similar among respondents with various qualification levels or

employment status. However, information sources for news in the municipality

were found to differ among respondents with various socio-demographic

characteristics. While local newspaper is the main information source among

all respondents participants who were unemployed or had lower than tertiary

qualifications made more use of the municipality information sources such as

newsletters, meetings or community groups. On the other hand, those who

were employed or with tertiary education relied more on their friends and

family to obtain local news (Figure 33).

100%

53%

20%

73%

20%

40%

13% 13%

87%

40% 27%

20% 27%

20% 13%

47%

7% 7%

60%

33% 33%

13% 13% 7%

60%

7%

73%

27%

7%

67%

40%

7% 20%

33%

7% 20%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

120%

Sources of information for news in the municipality

Vredendal Noord

Lutzville

Vredendal

Lutzville Uitkyk

52

Figure 33. Information for news in country, world and municipality based on qualification levels and

employment of respondents.

Respondents were also enquired about the ways in which information around

renewable energy could be communicated better by asking them what

could improve their knowledge or make them more interested in renewable

energy. Participants generally indicated sources of information they thought

should be employed and responsible stakeholders as well as factors that

should be considered in communicating information.

Generally, respondents identified knowledge around renewable energy can

be improved with information provision. Some participants said that people

have not received enough information: ‘People do not really know what is

going on’ (Respondent 16) or ‘communities should be informed about

opportunities’ (Respondent 23). Another respondent proposed that more

knowledge around renewable energy could lead to more support: ‘the more

people know, the more they will support renewable energy projects. At the

moment, some people are not happy about locations for renewable energy

projects’ (Respondent 12). The current levels of knowledge around

renewable energy and renewable energy projects given the levels of

engagement and information sharing was best summarised by respondent 34

53

who said that ‘at the moment, information has been quite sporadic. People

are aware but not well informed’.

Regarding the preferred information communication channels, participants

of this research suggested a range of options (Figure 34). The greatest

proportion of respondents preferred that renewable energy should be

communicated to them in municipal meetings, workshops and information

sessions. This is an interesting discovery, especially as municipal meetings are

not the main source of information for happenings in the municipality as was

seen from Figure 29 earlier. While municipal meetings were preferred in

general, some respondents expressed their negative opinions regarding

municipal meetings: ‘many people go to meetings with children and can’t

really hear anything in the meeting’ (Respondent 15).

Figure 34. Preferred information communication channels around renewable energy.

Given such wide range of information channels, communication strategies

should combine more than one information source. Such conclusion was

recognised by respondent 12 who suggested to ‘use different ways and

channels to inform people’.

Majority respondents identified that municipality should be responsible for

informing people around renewable energy and opportunities it creates

(Figure 35). Another 5 respondents identified raising awareness as a

responsibility of the national government, suggesting that participants of this

54

research see education and information sharing as a responsibility of the

various spheres of South African government. On the other hand, personal

responsibility to find out more or get involved in a joint community projects

around renewable energy was recognised only by 4 respondents, among

whom it was suggested that ‘communities can also start something and do

not have to wait for things to happen’ (Respondent 40). Renewable energy

developers or ESKOM were perceived to have a responsibility towards

education and raising awareness only by a few respondents. Interestingly,

intermediaries or NGOs have also been identified to play a role in information

sharing around renewable energy ‘enough NGOs could help to inform

people’ (Respondent 49) or ‘need people who are intermediaries’

(Respondent 17).

Figure 35. Responsible stakeholders for informing people, as identified by respondents in Matzikama

municipality

When communicating information to studied communities, language, regular

communication as well as communities’ needs and socio-economic realities

were mentioned as factors which should be considered. For majority of

respondents, native language is Afrikaans, and while people participated

and provided sufficient information for this research, some have identified

that appropriate language and terms should be used: ‘information has to be

communicated in Afrikaans and understandable terms have to be used’

31

2

6

3

5

2

3 3 1

Who should inform people?

Municipality

Communities themselves

RE developers/ESKOM

Intermediaries/NGOs

National government

Personal responsibility

School

Local media

Church

55

(Respondent 39) or ‘but not in English’ (Respondent 21). A few respondents

also suggested that information should be provided on a more regular basis:

‘regular workshops should be held’ (Respondent 49), ‘such people [who

inform communities] should come more frequently’ (Respondent 17) or

‘maybe put in the quarterly newsletter in the municipality’ (Respondent 19).

Another thing that also was mentioned by a few participants is that when

raising awareness and communicating information around renewable

energy, socio-economic realities of communities should be taken into

consideration ‘more campaigns focussed on rural communities. There are lots

of benefits and people need to know more options’ (Respondent 59) or

‘renewable energy projects should also involve community mapping which

identifies what kind of people live in the area, the language they speak, what

are the unemployment levels, the reasons for unemployment (are people just

lazy or are there really no jobs) as well as opportunities for employment’

(Respondent 39).

4.4.3 Key findings

Overall, people were able to identify renewable energy projects that were

taking place in their municipal area, however, engagement with projects has

been low. People from examined communities viewed that they have been

provided little information around renewable energy and benefits it can

provide. Regarding the sources of information, the ones that most people

used to obtain information about renewable energy were local newspaper,

TV as well as friends and family, yet it is important to note that in different

communities different information channels were the most effective in

informing people.

All in all, TV, local newspaper, radio and the Internet was used to obtain news

in the country and the world. On the other hand, local newspaper and

municipality newsletter were employed more to gather local news about

happenings in the municipality. While these main information choices for

local news slightly differed among the examined communities, the

56

employment status and level of qualifications emerged to differentiate

information seeking patterns. Those with tertiary education and employed

used more local newspaper and their friends and family while unemployed

and without tertiary qualifications preferred municipality channels such as

newsletters, meetings or community groups.

People have identified that they would prefer meetings and information

sessions as well as publications in the local newspaper as ways to inform

them. What also has emerged is that people believe that it is the responsibility

of the municipality to inform them of the happenings around renewable

energy. Among other factors which are important in communication

strategies are choice of language, regularity and inclusion of socio-economic

realities.

5. Discussion

5.1 Knowledge around renewable energy

5.1.1. Fragmented knowledge

Awareness raising, capacity building and education have been identified

among the key factors which contribute towards greater uptake of

renewable energy in South Africa (Department of Minerals and Energy, 2002).

Yet in building knowledge base, it is important first to examine what

information and knowledge exists on the local or community level

(Mchombu, 2004). This research has discovered that knowledge of

renewable energy among residents of the Matzikama municipality is rather

limited. People were more aware of the more mature renewable energy

sources such as wind, sun or water, especially on prompting whereas

awareness of less matured renewable sources was much lower. Such results

corresponded with those found among school students in Jordan where

higher levels of awareness were observed around solar and wind energy

(Zyadin et al., 2012). Defining the term ‘renewable energy’ was also quite

57

challenging for respondents, nonetheless, people were able to identify

renewable energy projects that are taking place in their area. Such

outcomes suggest that while people’s knowledge around renewable energy

exists, it is somewhat fragmented. What could be concluded from these

findings is that renewable energy projects do not occur in the ‘vacuum of

knowledge’: even if there have not been any education or awareness

campaigns, people still have some levels of knowledge, acquired through

different information channels. At best it could be summarised by the

response of ‘Information has been quite sporadic. People are aware but not

well informed’ (Respondent 34).

5.1.2 Factors influencing knowledge

People’s knowledge around renewable energy has been found to be

influenced by the area they come from, their employment status as well as

qualifications. Knowledge was found to differ significantly between

communities with different income levels, yet it is important to remember that

communities are not homogenous, and that even within a lower-income

community, people with varying levels of income reside. Income level as an

indicator neglects other important dimensions to characterise communities.

This calls for a wider range of indicators when determining affluence and

well-being of a community. For the highlighted reasons, inferences about

income levels and knowledge should be treated with caution, and more

studies should be done to validate such relationship.

Interestingly, employment and tertiary education were also among the

factors which significantly influenced existing knowledge. While it is difficult to

attribute a single explanation to these findings, it is known that knowledge

creation is a social process, which is ‘embedded in a particular set of

relationships among individuals’ (Nonaka and Nishiguchi, 2001:286). People

have varying extent of social ties with other members in communities and this

subsequently affect accessibility to information and knowledge creation

(Chua, 2002, Viswanath et al., 2000). Therefore, in the context of this study, it

could be assumed that employment and tertiary education facilitates

58

greater and more diverse social relations between individuals and therefore,

greater access to information. Nevertheless, such assumptions would have to

be substantiated, creating opportunities to explore the role that employment

and tertiary qualifications play in generation of knowledge among different

communities in South Africa.

5.2 Renewable energy communication

5.2.1 Understanding target population

In engaging and educating the public, communication of information has to

use appropriate channels in order to reach local populations and become

transformed into knowledge. Results that emerged from this study correspond

with the literature around climate change communications, underlining the

importance of targeted communication (Bostrom et al., 2013, Ricci et al.,

2010). Identified information sharing channels for news in Matzikama

municipality do not differ based on the community that people belong to,

yet they appear to depend on people’s employment status and obtained

qualifications. Those who are employed or have tertiary qualifications

(certificate/diploma or above) make more use of their personal contacts

such as friends and family whereas those unemployed or without tertiary

education depend more on information provided by the municipality. Such

findings could have emerged because people with different qualifications

and employment status use their social networks for different things.

Unemployed or with lower education levels could be assumed to use their

personal network to source employment opportunities whereas those in

formal employment and with higher education – to obtain information

around happenings in the municipality. While linkages between employment,

qualifications and networks would still have to be established, nevertheless,

these results reiterate the notion that community is not a homogenous body

and that information seeking patterns may differ among various groups within

a community. Therefore, it could be suggested that awareness and

59

understanding of such differences within the community in terms of

information sharing is an important consideration in ensuring that the whole

community has access to information.

Increased provision of information can stimulate knowledge and interest

around renewable energy – such was the suggestion that emerged from

people in Matzikama municipality. Sound, reliable and impartial information

together with visual evidence can lead to better understanding of

renewable energy technologies (Ricci et al., 2010). When people were asked

about their preferred information channels, they indicated meetings and

information sessions, however, in reality, they have heard about renewable

energy predominantly from local newspaper, TV as well as their friends and

family. Similar pattern is observed in the region of Friesland, the Netherlands,

where people, while indicated that they would go to meetings if such were

arranged, in reality received information around renewable energy through

their personal contacts and the media (Krohn & Damborg, 1999). Such a

discrepancy that has emerged could affect the achievement of

communication goals around renewable energy, and these findings further

support the view that it is important to gain better understanding of a

community or target population prior to developing a communication

strategy.

5.2.2 Tailored messages

Another important aspect of communication is presenting communities with

tailored messages because tailoring like targeting can increase chances of

achieving communication goals (Bostrom et al., 2013). The importance of

language in communicating with people emerged from the responses in

Matzikama municipality. People have identified that understandable terms

and their native language should be used while socio-economic realities

should be taken into consideration. Choice of language could be an

important element in communication strategy as language enables people

to ‘discuss and exchange information, ask questions and provide opinions’

(Chua, 2002). What is more, language as communication tool shapes

60

people’s perceptions and can serve as ‘vehicle of knowledge’ (Renzl, 2007).

These findings regarding tailored messages are in line with suggestions

around climate change communications, which propose that

‘understanding social identities and affiliations’ of target audience is essential

for successful communication strategy (Bostrom et al., 2013). Choosing

appropriate language which reflects socio-cultural realities can enhance

effectiveness of communication message and hence the overall

communication around renewable energy.

5.2.3 Responsibilities towards information sharing process

Local government has a role to play in information sharing as have emerged

from results in Matzikama municipality. People predominantly viewed that it is

the responsibility of the municipality together with other spheres of

government to provide information and educate people about renewable

energy when a personal inclination towards finding out more about what is

happening in their municipality was reported only by a fraction of

respondents. Reliance on the government provision instead of taking local

action could be an indicator of lacking community empowerment among

communities in Matzikama municipality (Simpson et al., 2003). At the same

time, it is known that local government in South Africa lacks capacity to

attend to all the matters of concern (Peters and van Nieuwenhuyzen, 2012).

While the RE IPPPP in South Africa places great emphasis on economic

development, perhaps some efforts could be directed towards improving

community capacity to act locally and subsequently alleviating pressures on

the government, since ‘community development underpins economic

growth’ as suggested by some community development practitioners

(Cavaye, 2006). In terms of communication around renewable energy, it

should be noted that people expect the information to come from the

government. Nevertheless, renewable energy companies have a

responsibility towards development, and perhaps greater collaboration

should be aimed for between local government and renewable energy

61

developers in communicating and disseminating information around

renewable energy.

5.3 Engagement and development

5.3.1 Engagement with renewable energy so far

Public engagement, which involves communication, participation and

consultation, is critical in achieving more sustainable outcomes of renewable

energy projects among local communities. This research has revealed that

the issue of insufficient community engagement, which is quite evident in

developed countries (Jones, 2012), can be seen in the context of renewable

energy projects in Matzikama municipality. It was known from the

conversation with the municipal IDP manager that public meetings around

renewable energy were poorly attended. Therefore, results which indicate

that engagement with renewable energy has been quite low come as no

surprise. While in general people in Matzikama have heard of renewable

energy projects taking place in the area, their personal involvement or

attendance of meetings has been limited. Subsequently, information that

was provided around renewable energy and its benefits is also perceived to

be low. In Netherlands, the country where the renewable energy industry is

more matured, inclusion of the public in decision-making has been identified

as an imperative for success not only around individual projects but for the

industry as a whole (Wolsink, 2007). Public engagement allows not only

involving of the public in planning and decision-making and this way

generates more support for renewable energy projects but also enables

capturing of local knowledge which might improve the proposed project

outcomes (Jones, 2012). Simultaneously, project developers have an

opportunity to identify public’s concerns and concurrently accommodate

them (Wolsink, 2007). As higher participation and active involvement build

motivation and capacity, fostering greater community engagement could

contribute towards empowering communities and enhancing social capital,

62

hopefully leading to greater actions taken by communities around their own

development.

5.3.2 Implications to current public participation model

Renewable energy developers for projects in Matzikama municipality had to

carry out a public participation process as is required by law as part of

environmental impact assessment process. What has emerged from this study

is that while people expect the government to provide information around

renewable energy, they poorly attend meetings organised by municipality.

Only five respondents indicated that they have heard about renewable

energy from meetings, and among those only one respondent (respondent

39) explicitly stated that he was engaged in public consultation as he is ‘on

the distribution list for projects that might require approvals’. While the reasons

behind these findings are not apparent, what could be suggested is that the

current public participation model presents some limitations around

information provision and public involvement.

Access to information and participation are among factors which foster trust

and perceived fairness in public engagement, and therefore can lead to

more legitimacy of outcomes from renewable energy projects among local

communities (Gross, 2007). Beierle (1998) proposes that public participation

processes may have differing goals such as education and information or

reduction of conflicts and fostering trust, and that achievement of various

goals may require the use of different mechanisms as part of public

participation process. It is unknown whether limitations around public

participation that appeared from this study prevail in other areas in South

Africa or in different contexts, nonetheless, perhaps renewable energy could

be a platform for exploring alternative mechanisms to public participation or

incentives for greater public involvement in Matzikama municipality. After all,

‘public participation in decision-making is desirable and necessary in its own

right as an essential attribute of democracy’ (Wright, 2012).

63

5.4 Perceptions around benefits

5.4.1 Improvements in physical and financial capital

Renewable energy is perceived generally well, and people in Matzikama

municipality believe that it can deliver benefits to their communities. Among

the most often mentioned benefits those contributing towards economic

development dominated responses. This study did not explore whether

identified benefits are what people expect or desire to see, nevertheless, at

least people are not unaware or in denial of benefits like it is in some

communities in the UK (Cass et al., 2010). Among the most often mentioned

benefits to communities were improvements to physical and financial capital

of communities through job creation as well a reduced costs and improved

supply of electricity.

Some scepticism about the potential of renewable energy to deliver the

mentioned benefits also was observed in Matzikama municipality. People

perceived that in the long-term job creation may not be very high, and this is

similar to findings from wind and solar projects from Spain, where only a small

number of people are employed in renewable energy projects during

operation and maintenance phase (del Rio and Burguillo, 2009). The RE IPPPP

in South Africa places great emphasis on job creation as part of economic

development component. Nevertheless, in assessing contributions of

renewable energy to job creation, both quantitative and qualitative aspects

should be considered. Temporariness, direct and indirect employment as well

as employment diversification among other aspects determine the impact

renewable energy can have on local employment opportunities, yet what is

more important is that work is created for those in a community who are most

in need (del Rio and Burguillo, 2008). Interviewed people a few times have

mentioned ‘youth’ as a community group which is in most need of benefits

from renewable energy ‘Have to plan projects with youth in mind’

(Respondent 19) or ‘There should be benefits for young people’ (Respondent

48). Therefore, it could be suggested that expectation around job creation

64

for the youth, and whether it is actually met, could influence people’s

perceptions of renewable energy.

Perceived benefits around electricity supply and cost could be seen to

address issues of high prices and unsteady supply, which were identified as

the biggest problems around electricity in South Africa. Nevertheless, some

doubts around the potential to have lower electricity prices as a result of

renewable energy were also evident. Renewable energy indeed can

contribute towards improved electricity supply, however, implications around

price reductions are less positive. It has been suggested that electricity prices

will have to increase in South Africa because of the need to finance the RE

IPPPP (Greenpeace, 2013), and since electricity in South Africa feeds into the

central grid, there is no mechanism for municipalities, where renewable

energy developments take place, to receive electricity at reduced costs.

Misconceptions of benefits of renewable energy that pertain to electricity

system in the UK have been associated with the lack of knowledge or

confusion around electricity infrastructure (Cass et al., 2010), and while it

could be suggested increasing knowledge base around renewable energy

could address this false belief around reduced electricity prices, it remains to

be seen of whether it would be the case.

5.4.2 Unrecognised social benefits

Contributions to social and human capital which could increase skills and

knowledge base of local communities and promote greater community

involvement in projects have been barely recognised by people. Education

was the only benefit that people managed to identify. Social and community

development benefits tend to be less tangible and might take longer to

realise, making it more difficult to recognise them. While economic benefits,

especially job creation, could be seen as really in need in communities in

Matzikama, especially given high unemployment levels, nevertheless, social

benefits can also contribute towards local development. Given the already

existing scepticism around job creation and the misconception of reduced

prices for electricity, it becomes important to increase awareness of social

65

and community benefits so that people do not develop negative

perceptions around renewable energy or denial of its benefits.

5.5 Public acceptance

Engagement, communication and perceptions are all among factors which

influence public acceptance. This research did not seek to elucidate

communities’ acceptance of renewable energy projects in Matzikama

municipality; it only sought to capture how specific aspects of knowledge,

perceptions and engagement have played out. At the moment, the

renewable energy sector in South Africa is still at early stages, and no

opposition has been observed around developments. But as the industry

matures, more negative attitudes could appear, especially as benefits from

the projects are not intended to be directed to those who are unhappy with

projects; rather to those who are more in need. If this was the case,

community acceptance, which is a dimension of social acceptance, could

become a more determining factor for the success of projects and uptake of

renewable energy. The study of attitudes around wind turbines found that

prior experience with technologies significantly affects future attitudes

(Ladenburg & Krause, 2011). Therefore, communities’ current experience with

renewable energy technologies, including the way people are consulted

and engaged, how much information is provided to them and what benefits

they can derive from projects could influence attitudes and acceptance of

renewable energy developments in the future.

Generally, respondents perceive renewable energy in Matzikama well, and

recognise the positive impacts it can make to the area. People’s

expectations of renewable energy benefits also appear to be quite positive,

however, it is still to be seen of whether such perceptions remain over time as

renewable energy projects progress. Insufficient public engagement,

including lack of information around renewable energy, appeared from

Matzikama municipality, and experiences from countries where the

66

renewable energy industry is more developed demonstrate that insufficient

consultation or public involvement may prompt opposition to renewable

energy projects on local level, especially as these are among the most

important factors influencing individual support (Cass et al., 2010, Reiner et

al., 2006). While such opposition is currently not observed in South Africa,

nevertheless, if people develop resentment around renewable energy or

feelings of misunderstanding, this could lead to opposition later on and

impact on the growth of the renewable energy industry and its contributions

to local development.

6. Conclusion

Renewable has the potential to contribute to sustainable development on

the national and local level. Yet, deployment of renewable energy is

embedded in social context, which among other considerations is shaped by

public perceptions and acceptance. While on the broader societal-level

renewable energy is perceived generally positively, community acceptance

can be a determining factor for successful renewable energy projects.

Community acceptance is shaped by the relationship that is formed and

maintained among communities, project developers as well as local planners

(Wustenhagen et al., 2007), and this relationship can be defined by

expectations of projects and processes as well as engagements that take

place throughout the entirety of a renewable energy project (Devine-Wright,

2009). For this relationship to be a success, it is important to develop greater

understanding of local communities and their structures, including social

relations, networks and social groups, in the context of renewable energy.

The findings of this study through capturing knowledge, perceptions and

engagement provided a few snapshots of the relationship between the

communities and renewable energy and also simultaneously contributed

towards enhancing our understanding of communities in one municipal area

in South Africa.

67

Awareness around renewable energy is widespread in Matzikama

municipality, yet detailed knowledge is fragmented. Knowledge creation is

embedded in social context and accordingly it was discovered that social

factors, namely income levels, employment and tertiary education, can play

a significant role in creation of knowledge. The importance of social factors

for deployment of renewable energy, specifically in communicating

information around renewable energy, was highlighted again when it was

discovered that employment and tertiary education produce different

information seeking patterns among local populations.

Examination of communication and engagement around renewable energy

revealed some insufficiencies around information sharing and public

participation processes. Information channels that were identified as the most

commonly used to receive news about happenings in the municipality were

different from the actual channels for information around renewable energy.

What is more, the public expect municipality to provide information, yet

actually they do not attend organised meetings, leaving little scope for

sufficient public involvement and consultation. Given the expectations

around information provision, greater collaboration between project

developers and local authorities could be aimed for in achieving more

effective communication. Also, perhaps renewable energy developments

can be an opportunity to explore alternative information channels or more

effective engagement vehicles that stimulate greater community

involvement and bridge information gaps. Such findings highlight the

importance of gaining insights into communities, including the identification

of the ways information is accessed and received as well as of incentives that

can encourage greater public involvement.

Perceptions around renewable energy benefits can affect relationship

among project developers, local planners and communities, and

subsequently impact on future community acceptance of renewable

energy. At present, only economic benefits of renewable energy can be

identified by people in Matzikama municipality, and therefore, limited

68

recognition around social benefits can be somewhat of concern, especially

as already existing scepticism around job creation and reduced costs of

electricity could lead to negative perceptions around renewable energy.

Given the fragmented knowledge that exists around renewable energy,

perhaps an awareness campaign could present local populations with sound

and reliable information in order to avoid negative attitudes and conflicts in

the future.

The examined aspects of knowledge, perceptions and engagement appear

to be all interlinked and influence each other in communication, information

sharing and engagement processes around renewable energy. These

presented factors all constitute social context for renewable energy on the

local level, with local communities at the heart of it. Through measuring and

developing better understanding of these aspects it becomes possible not

only to gain insights into local communities but also ensure that aims of the RE

IPPPP, namely local development and promotion of renewable energy, are

better realised.

69

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Appendix 1.

Contingency tables, which summarise associations between knowledge on

prompting and employment, tertiary education as well as affluence of

communities.

Does respondent

know of? Unemployed Employed Total

Wind yes 1 2 3

no 9 48 57

Water yes 1 15 16

no 9 35 44

Sun yes 0 3 3

no 10 47 57

Tide yes 8 40 48

no 2 10 12

Wave yes 6 38 44

no 4 12 16

Biomass yes 4 40 44

no 5 10 15

Waste yes 9 31 40

no 1 19 20

Sewage gas yes 9 35 44

no 1 15 16

Biofuels yes 8 33 41

no 2 17 19

Does respondent

know of?

No tertiary

education

Tertiary

education Total

Wind yes 3 0 3

no 31 26 57

Water yes 9 7 16

no 25 19 44

Sun yes 3 0 3

no 31 26 57

Tide yes 31 17 48

no 3 9 12

Wave yes 27 17 44

no 7 9 16

Biomass yes 29 16 45

75

no 5 10 15

Waste yes 28 12 40

no 6 14 20


no 6 10 16


no 8 11 19

More affluent

community

Less affluent

community Total

Wind yes 0 3 3

no 30 27 57

Water yes 8 8 16

no 22 22 44

Sun yes 0 3 3

no 30 27 57

Tide yes 21 27 48

no 9 3 12

Wave yes 20 24 44

no 10 6 16

Biomass yes 21 24 45

no 9 6 15

Waste yes 16 24 40

no 14 6 20


no 11 5 16


no 12 7 19

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Appendix 2.

The questionnaire that was used to collect data in this study.

African Climate & Development Initiative

Geological Sciences Building, University of Cape Town

7701, Rondebosch, South Africa

Director: Professor Mark New Tel: +27 21 650 5598/2920

Fax: + 27 21 650 3783 E-mail: [email protected]

www.acdi.uct.ac.za Dear respondent,

I am conducting research as part of my Master’s thesis at the University of Cape Town. The

aim of the research is to explore knowledge and attitudes around renewable energy in your

local municipal area – people’s knowledge around it, their perceptions and expectations as

well as their sources of information around renewable energy and renewable energy

projects.

The questionnaire consists of 25 questions and should take a maximum of 25 minutes. No

special knowledge is required as there are no right or wrong answers! Your name or any

other personal details will not be recorded to keep your identity anonymous and

demographic information will be kept confidential. This research is completely independent –

not linked to any industry or interest group, and your participation in the study is voluntary.

The research is going to help me with my Master’s thesis and findings might be shared with

the municipality to inform their work.

Should you not wish to provide information for a particular question, you have the right to

refuse to answer it. Likewise, you are free to terminate the interview at any point should you

wish to do it.

Thank you for your willingness to participate and your time.

Interviewee signature: _______________ Date: ________________________

mailto:[email protected]

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QUESTIONNAIRE

1. Demographic information

1. Sex □ Male

□ Female

2. Age □16-24

□ 25-34

□ 35-44

□ 45-54

□ 55-64

□ 65+

3. Highest level of education completed □ No education

□ Grade (1-6)

□ Grade 7 (Standard 5)

□ Grade 8-11 (Standard 6-9)

□ Grade 12 (Standard 10)

□ Certificate with less than grade 12

□ Certificate/diploma with grade 12

□ Bachelor’s degree

□ Bachelor’s degree and diploma

□ Honour’s degree

□ Higher degree (master’s or doctorate)

4. Current occupation □ Employed

□ Employed (part-time)

□ Employed (contract)

□ Unemployed- seeking employment

□ Unemployed – not seeking employment

If employed, what is your occupation? ________________________________________

5. Which area you live in □ Vredendal

□ Vredendal Nord

□ Lutzville

□ Lutzville Uitkyk

□ Other (please specify)

6. What are the biggest electricity related issues in South Africa that first come to your

mind? a. ___________________________________________________________________

b. ___________________________________________________________________

c. ___________________________________________________________________

7. Which ways of generating electricity do you know? (Spontaneous awareness)

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

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8. Please describe in your own words the way you understand renewable energy? (First

thoughts that come to your mind).

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

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Energy production and renewable energy

9. Which energy sources have you heard of? (Prompted awareness)

□ Wind

□ Coal

□ Water

□ Sun

□ Tide

□ Wave

□ Biomass

□ Waste

□ Sewage gas

□ Biofuels

□ Nuclear

□ Natural gas

10. Which of these renewable energy technologies do you know of?

□ Solar power

□ Hydro electric

□ Onshore wind

□ Tidal power

□ Wave power

□ Landfill gas

□ Sewage gas

□ Offshore wind

□ Biomass

11. Technologies that you have indicated to know of in the previous question: how much do

you know of them and the way they are used to produce energy?

Just heard the name

Know very little

Know a little Know a lot

Solar power

Hydro electric

Onshore wind

Tidal power

Wave power

Landfill gas

Sewage gas

Offshore wind

Biomass

If you said you know a lot about a technology above, can you tell me what you know about

it?_______________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

12. Would you like to know more of any of the technologies listed above?

Yes No

□ □

If yes, please indicate which ones

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

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Opinion around renewable energy

13. How do you personally feel about renewable energy?

Very positive Fairly positive Neutral Fairly negative Very negative □ □ □ □ □ 14. Do you want renewable energy in your municipality?

Yes No

□ □

15. Your views on the following statements around renewable energy:

Strongly agree

Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree

a. Renewable energy can ensure continuous & constant supply of electricity

b. Renewable energy can produce electricity in clean & efficient way

c. Renewable energy can lower costs of electricity

d. Renewable energy harms environment & wildlife

e. Renewable energy can have negative impacts on local communities

f. Local communities have ownership in Renewable energy projects

g. Local communities can help to shape Renewable energy developments

h. Renewable energy can create jobs

i. Renewable energy projects will improve local infrastructure

j. Renewable energy can bring new business opportunities

k. Renewable energy projects can facilitate development of new skills

l. Renewable energy projects can increase sense of togetherness for local communities

Information 16. How much information do you feel that you have been provided with around renewable

energy projects?

None Not a lot Moderately Rather a lot A lot (sufficiently) □ □ □ □ □

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17. How much information do you feel that you have been provided with around benefits of

renewable energy?

None Not a lot Moderately Rather a lot A lot (sufficiently) □ □ □ □ □

18. What are your primary sources of information about news and happenings in the country

and the world?

□ Newspaper

□ Local radio

□ TV

□ Internet

□ Social media

□ Friends

□ Church

□ Community groups

□ Other

19. Where do you normally get the information about happenings in the municipality?

□ Local newspaper

□ Local radio

□ TV

□ Newsletter from the municipality

□ Municipal meetings

□ Internet

□ Social media

□ Friends

□ Church

□ Community groups

□ Other

82

Engagement 20. Do you know of any projects implementing renewable energy technologies in your area?

Yes No □ □

If yes, could you specify which ones do you know of?

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

21. Have you been involved in the renewable energy projects?

Yes No □ □ If yes, to what extent

Very little Little Moderately Rather a lot A lot □ □ □ □ □ and to what capacity? ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

22. In your opinion, can renewable energy bring benefits to you and your community?

Strongly agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree □ □ □ □ □ 23. If you agree, can you identify any specific benefits that renewable energy could

bring/has already brought to you and/or your community? If you disagree, can you

provide your reasons for your answer?

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

24. Where do/did you get information about renewable energy and renewable energy

projects from?

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

25. What should happen in order to improve your knowledge or interest in renewable

energy?

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

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