The Big Issue South Africa
Researchers at Stellenbosch University, a public research university in the town of Stellenbosch, South Africa, have developed a cost-effective, energy-efficient shack aimed at improving the living standards of township residents during their long waits for formal housing.
Professor Mark Swilling is head of Sustainable Development at Stellenbosch University and academic director of the Sustainability Institute. He conceived the prototype iShack, or improved shack, with postgraduate student Andreas Keller but stressed that it was not designed as a permanent housing solution.
“This is a measure to improve people’s lives today while they wait for houses and electricity grids,” he said.
iShack is essentially a redesign of the corrugated iron shacks found in townships throughout South Africa. The difference is that iShack has been designed along ecological principles to be energy efficient, water wise and thermally insulated.
Before conceptualizing iShack, Swilling, Keller and their team of researchers from Stellenbosch University looked to the nearby Enkanini Informal Settlement to understand the challenges faced by 13.6 percent of the South African population living in informal dwellings.
The team found the settlement dealt with lack of electricity, water shortages, no basic services and no guaranteed date for housing delivery. This meant that for the 4,500 Enkanini residents the most urgent need was better living conditions.
Four iShack prototypes were then installed in Enkanini and, so far, the pilot project has proved successful.
Prototypes
As the beneficiary of one of the iShack prototypes, Victor Mthelo is one of the few Enkanini residents with access to electricity.
Perched atop Mthelo’s iShack are four 75-watt solar panels that provide enough electricity to power four internal lights, a fridge, TV and DVD player, an external security motion sensor light and an all-important cellphone charger.
For casually employed people like Mthelo, cellphones are a lifeline to employers and work opportunities.
“Before, I had to go walking and wait about four hours just to charge my cellphone,” he said. “Now I can do it at home.”
There is no electricity for streetlights in Enkanini, so once it is dark, the streets are unsafe for Mthelo to walk the distance to charge his cellphone.
“Access to solar-powered electricity has improved my life a lot already,” he said.
Freezing nights and sweltering days in his shack are also a thing of the past, thanks to the thermal-savvy design.
The iShack incorporates waste cardboard and tetra pack in the walls and roof, while the back wall is constructed from straw, builder’s lime and earth — all providing cost-effective thermal insulation. Mthelo’s iShack is also positioned facing northeast, warming it with early morning sun in winter and creating a natural draft during the hot summer months.
“It used to be much hotter indoors because there was no insulation,” Mthelo said. “Being able to control the temperature is very important.”
Another improvement is that he is now able to collect rainwater from the roof of his shack, which is designed at a slant specifically for collecting water.
Swilling said collecting water was a crucial consideration in the iShack’s design, as there is currently only one tap for every 139 Enkanini residents, and water scarcity in the Stellenbosch area in general remains a problem.
Another smart design innovation is the fire retardant paint that has been sprayed on the iShack’s walls and roof, a move the researchers say was taken due to the high fire risk in the area.
Aside from improving living standards, the iShack project also has the potential to create a few part-time jobs. Mthelo is among the first recruits trained to install, operate and repair the iShack’s solar component, a job for which he is paid a monthly stipend: “I am a painter by trade, but now I’m also working to maintain and monitor the iShack’s electrical system.”
Perhaps the biggest boon is that the iShack is generally cheaper than traditional shacks. Excluding labor and transport, it only costs around $660 to build an iShack, considerably lower than the cost of neighboring shacks.
Municipality interest
While residents were skeptical at first, “everyone wants one now,” Mthelo said.
“There has been a huge demand for iShacks,” said Swilling.
He added that his team has also received positive feedback from Western Cape Premier Helen Zille and top officials at the Stellenbosch Municipality.
“We’ve been approached by the municipality to provide an interim solution in the upgrading of the informal settlement of Enkanini … through solar electrification and improvement of shacks.”
Despite local government’s interest, Swilling stressed that iShack would continue to be run as a private project. Between 60 and 80 new iShacks would be rolled out over the coming months, thanks to funding from The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the National Research Foundation.
Swilling notes that, while not ideal, the upgrading of informal settlements is a realistic approach to improving living standards while government battles to live up to its promise of free housing for all.
That could take a while. When asked about the possibility of relocating to government subsidized housing, said, “I’m not sure what my number would be on that waiting list, maybe I’d be waiting another 15 years. I’d rather stay here”.