The power supply gap of the South African National Power Company Eskom has been continuously expanding, and tiered load shedding has become a regular phenomenon across the country. Currently, the average duration of load shedding in South Africa can reach 4-8 hours, and during peak hours, the entire region experiences power outages, covering all core urban areas and expressway networks in Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban.
According to data from the South African Road Management Company: The power outage during load shedding directly causes 12% of urban road traffic accidents throughout the year, with the risk soaring significantly.
Local insurance institutions’ research shows: During load shedding at night, the accident rate on South African roads increases by 5.2%, and during weekend power outages, the accident rate rises by as much as 13.5%.
Traditional power supply lighting is completely dependent on the grid and cannot adapt to the load shedding conditions in South Africa.
Decentralized and zero-grid-dependent solar road studs have become the preferred lighting compensation solution for the South African transportation department, creating a “nightlight protection system without connecting to the circuit” for 24/7 operation.
This large-scale renovation project covers two major core road networks in South Africa:
This project is specifically targeted at high-risk areas without lighting, avoiding the conventional coverage of main roads by street lamps and focusing on four high-risk scenarios:
The entire project is equipped with ultra-strongly pressure-resistant active luminous solar road studs, suitable for heavy-duty truck traffic conditions in South Africa. The core basic specifications are as follows:
| Parameter Category | Project Standard Value |
| Overall Pressure Resistance Level | ≥30T static load resistance, suitable for heavy-duty freight traffic in South Africa |
| Energy Storage Endurance | Continuous lighting for ≥72 hours after full charge, suitable for extended power outages during rainy weather |
| Luminous Visibility Distance | Maximum visibility distance of 750 m, aligned with the 500–800 m visibility standard mentioned in the article |
| Installation Method | Embedded recessed installation with 6 anti-theft screws, resistant to tampering and unauthorized removal |
| Shell Material | National-standard ADC12 die-cast aluminum + Japanese PC corrosion-resistant panel |
| Compliance Certifications | South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) certification, South African National Roads Agency SOC Ltd registration, and Eskom operating condition testing |
South Africa implements a hierarchical planned power rationing system, with no fixed power outage periods and random power outages throughout the day.
Traditional street lights and road signs lose their power supply and have no backup light sources when they fail. The visibility on the roads at bends and intersections drops to zero, making it impossible for drivers to predict the direction of the lanes.
The black market for scrap metal in South Africa is well-developed, and the theft rate of transmission copper cables along the outskirts and highways remains high.
Even if power is restored in many sections, the cables are stolen, making it impossible to light up for a long time. The repair cycle is up to 1-2 months, and a large amount of repair funds are repeatedly invested.
The rural areas and remote highways in South Africa have a large span, and the operation and maintenance of power grid roads face dual cost pressures. The following table shows the average annual cost of road lighting in South Africa:
| Lighting Type | Initial Wiring & Installation Cost (per km) | Average Annual Electricity Cost (per km) | Average Annual Cable Replacement & Maintenance Cost (per km) |
| Traditional Street Lamps | 2,850 USD | 720 USD | 1,100 USD |
| Solar Active Luminous Road Studs | 920 USD | 0 USD | 120 USD |
In addition, South Africa has strict energy quota control, and the approval process for new power grid lighting electricity is cumbersome, making the expansion of road lighting extremely difficult.
The annual average sunshine duration in South Africa exceeds 2500 hours, with the best lighting resources in the world, perfectly adapting to the logic of photovoltaic energy storage.
The product is equipped with monocrystalline silicon solar panels, which automatically store energy during the day without light and automatically start emitting light when it gets dark. There is no need to connect to the power grid.
It is not affected by Eskom’s power rationing scheduling and can operate normally during hierarchical rationing and all-area power outages.
The old roads in South Africa generally use passive reflective road studs, which can only rely on the reflection of vehicle headlights to obtain a small amount of light. The effect is extremely poor in power outage nights.
In this project, the LED solar road studs are self-luminous light sources, and the performance of the two is a direct comparison：
| Stud Category | Night Effective Visibility Distance | Visibility Effect at Bends in Fog | Applicability During Power Outages Without Street Lighting |
| Ordinary Passive Reflective Studs | 50–80 meters | Poor, easily lose effectiveness due to reduced reflection | Almost unusable |
| Active Luminous Solar Studs | 500–800 meters | Strong penetration, provides clear road outline | Stable illumination throughout the night |
It is compatible with continuous multi-day hierarchical rationing, rainy and cloudy weather conditions. The product is optimized with a large-capacity energy storage battery.
When fully charged, it can emit light continuously for more than 72 hours in rainy and cloudy days. It can perfectly cope with extreme conditions in South Africa, such as multiple days of 3-4 hours of uninterrupted power rationing in winter, without the risk of power outage and dimming.
Traditional lighting must be laid underground power transmission cables, which are the core target of theft gangs. The solar cat-eye studs work independently, with no external cables or parallel wiring, and have no value for theft.
The product uses an aluminum alloy thick shell, embedded and sunk pavement installation, and tools are difficult to pry off and dismantle. At the same time, it is resistant to sandstone wear and rainwater immersion, suitable for long-term use on South African sandstone roads and coastal high-salt corrosion roads.
The modified sections have been equipped with continuous road surface night glow markings, creating a visible “luminous track”.
The lane lines, curve radii, and intersection contours are all visible at all times, eliminating the need to rely on vehicle headlights to predict road conditions during power rationing nights.
Data feedback from 3 months of project operation: In the N1/N2 modified sections, the number of rear-end collisions and lane departure accidents at night decreased by 41% compared to the previous period, and the number of pedestrian collisions decreased by more than 50%.
No need to excavate large areas of roadbed or lay underground cables. A single road nail can be embedded and installed through drilling.
Compared to the city circuit light renovation: The construction period was shortened by 65%, and there was no need to close half of the road for long-term construction. It met the construction requirements for busy highways in South Africa with heavy traffic.
As a green off-grid infrastructure, solar road nails have a certain long-term cost advantage:
Zero electricity bill for the power grid, completely avoiding the cost of annual price increases in South African electricity.
No cable replacement costs, the annual operation cost is only 1/9 of the cost of city power lighting.
The product has a lifespan of 5-8 years, no need for frequent batch replacements, suitable for the traffic financial budget planning in South Africa.
Continuous low-light illumination on the road surface reduces blind spots in secluded areas of the road, assisting traffic police and security personnel in night patrols, and reducing the incidence of criminal cases in the surrounding areas.
There is no permanent solution to the power shortage problem in South Africa, and unstable power supply from the grid will persist for a long time.
Traditional centralized road lighting that relies on the grid is no longer suitable for the development needs of South African road traffic.
Decentralized, self-powered by photovoltaic energy, low maintenance, theft-proof and durable solar-powered active luminous road studs are not just temporary lighting supplement solutions, but also the inevitable choice for transportation departments in various provinces of South Africa to enhance the road network’s risk-resistance capability and build a resilient road system.
Lightway has been deeply involved in solar-powered road lighting in Africa for many years. It is familiar with the power restriction levels of various provinces in South Africa, road network standards, security conditions, construction norms, and can provide fully compliant solar road safety customized solutions for municipal transportation, highway general contracting, and township infrastructure projects. It serves road network renovation projects in South Africa and multiple countries in Southern Africa.
Are you also looking for a road lighting solution to address the power shortage in South Africa? Choose Lightway brand solar road products, which are compatible with Eskom’s graded power restrictions, theft prevention, heavy loads, and power endurance in rainy and cloudy conditions. Please contact us to learn more.
