Community Engagement

A Key Lever For Pursuing & Enabling More Just Outcomes In The Energy Transition

Project summary:
New report on Community Engagement as a key lever for just outcomes in the energy transition

Partners:
Fezeka Stuurman (Cultiver Group)

Timeframe:
2026

Resources:

This research initiative was launched to document insights from a community inititiative aimed at narrowing the gaps between communities and the .

The ENGAGE! initiative, launched by the Cultiver Group, is a first-of-its-kind purpose-built community engagement platform designed to foster authentic inclusivity and minimise social risks in large-scale renewables, mining, and other infrastructure projects. This included a toll-free community hotline and WhatsApp line allowing community members to voice concerns or raise questions in any of the 11 official South African languages, and trained Community Ambassadors who acted as liaisons, ensuring that communications are secure, unbiased, and inclusive.

This project was piloted in two communities; Sutherland in the Northern Cape and Laingsburg in the Western Cape. These communities are host to two utility scale wind farms that were procured under the 4th bidding round of the South African Government’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme.

This report, authored by Fekeza Stuurman of Cultiver Group, looks at community engagement as a lever to realising social upliftment, improving developmental outcomes and better supporting social justice outcomes in the renewable energy sector in South Africa.  

Read the Report

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