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.