The development of technologies and structures providing energy for household use in South Africa have for many years been dominated by the needs of "white" households. While these needs have been comprehensively met through cheap and efficient energy supplies, the needs of those in the "homelands" and townships have effectively been ignored. Thus, for roughly two-thirds of the population in South Africa, the struggle to meet basic energy needs for cooking, water heating, space heating and lighting is time consuming and expensive. The planning of a national energy strategy for the future can no longer overlook the energy needs of underdeveloped areas. While the immense task of building institutions and techniques for providing all with adequate and affordable energy supplies will require substantial technical intervention and a large amount of capital, ignoring these problems will incur even greater political, social and environmental costs. Interest in the field of energy for underdeveloped areas has been increasing in recent years, and has led to research on various appropriate energy technologies and the highlighting of energy problems in various locations. However, there has been no overview of experience to date, nor any comparative assessment of these technologies and their potential role in an energy supply strategy. By drawing together the body of research into one publication, this thesis hopes to provide an overview, to allow different energy technologies and supply options to be assessed and compared, and to provide a starting point for debate on suitable energy strategies for underdeveloped areas.

Thesis (MScFor)--Stellenbosch University, 2000. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Grobbelaar, F.R. 2000. A methodology to aid in appropriate technology decision-making for developing countries. M.Sc thesis. University of Stellenbosch. In the process of selecting what we believe to be suitable technology for timber harvesting and transport, economics are usually the determining factor, whether in the form of capital investment or personnel cost. Internationally we see a move towards mechanisation in forestry for various reasons: e.g., high wages, labour shortage, and occupational safety. The realities of South Africa highlights other issues requiring attention: e.g., high unemployment, skills' shortage, global competition, rampant AIDS pandemic, and a poor safety and security record. This should focus our attention on finding local solutions to the problem of finding suitable or appropriate technology to support South Africa's quest for sustainable development. This thesis attempts to establish a methodology for the objective evaluation of alternative technologies for a specific timber harvesting situation, considering the economic, social and environmental implications. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Grobbelaar, F.R. 2000. A methodology to aid in appropriate technology decisionmaking for developing countries. M.Sc tesis. Universiteit van Stellenbosch. Tydens die keuse van sogenaamde toepaslike tegnologie vir houtinoesting en -vervoer is ekonomie meestal die deurslaggewende faktor, hetsy verteenwoordig deur kapitaal belegging of personeelkoste. Internasionaal is daar tans In neiging na meganisasie in bosbou vir In verskeidenheid redes: bv., hoë arbeidskoste, arbeidtekort, en beroepsveiligheid. Die werklikhede van Suid-Afrika beklemtoon egter ander sake wat daadwerklike optrede vereis: nl., hoë werkloosheid, gebrek aan vaardighede, internasionale mededinging, ernstige VIGS pandemie, en In swak veiligheid-en sekuriteit rekord. Dit behoort ons aandag te fokus op die vind van plaaslike oplossings tot die probleem met die keuse van geskikte of toepaslike tegnologie ter bevordering van Suid Afrika se strewe na volhoubare ontwikkeling. Hierdie tesis poog om In metodiek te ontwikkel vir die objektiewe beoordeling van alternatiewe tegnologieë vir houtinoesting binne bepaalde omstandighede, met inagneming van ekonomiese, sosiale en omgewings implikasies.

Persistent poverty, social and economic inequalities are some of the challenges in the process of national development efforts targeted in the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Yet in South Africa, poverty, hunger, social and economic inequalities are still on the increase especially among poor rural to urban migrants. Because of severe poverty in rural areas, large populations of rural poor migrate to urban areas in search of better life. However, the growing energy needs in the urban areas where these people settle and their use of inefficient energy technologies negatively impact on the balance of environmental resources on which their socio-economic development depends. Efficient, affordable and environmental friendly technologies are therefore vital for improving the livelihood conditions and protecting the much needed environmental resources of the country. On the contrary, current practices presently dominating energy provision issues in South Africa are insufficient to solve the problems of socio-economic inequalities, especially for the increasing urban poor population. In addition, they are also failing to protect the environment and natural resources. Electrification of poor urban and peri-urban areas by both grid and off-grid systems through the top-down development practice is doing very little to change the socio-economic conditions of the poor section of the population in the country. Likewise, the provision of modern energy through public sector agencies such as Eskom is inadequate and inappropriate for the rapidly expanding urban and peri-urban poor areas in the country. One major reason that hinders provision of such services to the overcrowded consumer population in these areas is the massive capital investment required and inability to pay electricity bills by urban poor households. Against the above background, this study examined the use of improved wood stoves in two peri-urban areas (Umsilinga and Isnathing) in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa as an alternative modern energy technology on how they would socio-economically benefit the peri-urban poor. It looked at the following: The efficiency of four improved wood stoves (Yamampera, Simunye, Household Rocket and Vesto) in comparison with the three stone open fire, The impact of the efficient burning of the four improved stoves, Factors influencing consumers in choosing a specific energy technology to use, The effectiveness of the improved wood stoves placed in 24 peri-urban households and observed for the specified period, and Additional potentials of such stoves to other prospective users. The key finding of this research is that the use of these improved wood stoves could play a pivital role in household economic growth and improving livelihoods. Participants ranked smokeless burning, low selling price, fuelwood saving and light weight of the stoves as priority preferences for using these stoves. Speed of cooking and less constant attention to the fire were also ranked as important preferences. From women participants view point, the low selling price of the stoves and their considerable fuel saving would reduce strain on the household investment capital, household indoor pollution and tedious work of women’s fuelwood collection. Low investment costs in acquiring the stoves would encourage women’s participation as entrepreneurs in modern energy technologies. However, results from focused group discussions and observations of usage of stoves that were placed in 24 homes showed that the incorporation of consumer preferences in the design of improved wood stoves would be key. This would enable stoves to adequately meet the energy needs of targeted users and be used frequently as an alternative energy solution by both urban and peri-urban poor who are currently lacking electricity and suffering from energy poverty. / Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermarizburg, 2009.