Magister Artium - MA / The aim ofthis study is to analyse the interrelationships among domestic energy needs, the system of prepayment electrification and development as manifested in two lowincome communities of the Cape Metropole, namely Wallacedene and Delft. The study highlights the various dimensions of the following problem: Technological applications such as prepayment systems of electrification (whereby payment precedes the supply of electricity to users) can be rendered ineffective if it is not compatible with all the conditions that shape the livelihoods of its target groups