iKaya Primary School now energy resilient thanks to partnership

Statement by Minister David Maynier, Minister of Education Western Cape

On Wednesday, 27 September 2023, I visited iKaya Primary School in Kayamandi, Stellenbosch, for the commissioning of their new solar system that will keep the lights on during loadshedding.

This project has been made possible by our partnership with Stellenbosch University, which is making a real difference in the energy resilience of our schools.

The school has received brand new solar panels with a battery and inverter system, to seamlessly switch over when loadshedding strikes. The school has also been fitted with new LED lighting, which is expected to cut energy costs at the school by R30 000 a year, freeing up this funding to be spent on other schooling essentials.

iKaya Primary is one of ten schools that will be benefitting from improved energy efficiency and reliability as part of the project. The Western Cape Education Department will fund the remaining seven schools at a cost of R3.5 million, and the University is providing R1 million in funding for the systems at three of the schools.

I have put forward a challenge to our partners to find a scalable solution for more of our schools, so that teaching and learning can continue in the Western Cape, even when Eskom turns off the lights.

Please see statement released by partnership attached.

Media Enquiries:
Kerry Mauchline
Spokesperson to Minister David Maynier
Western Cape Ministry of Education
Kerry.Mauchline@westerncape.gov.za