Shoppers were shown how to adopt simple household energy-saving measures at Promenade Mall this morning.
The pop-up stall formed part of the City’s sustainability drive called Let’s ACT, which is part of the Future Energy Festival.
As part of the festival, a pop-up display will be at the Liberty Promenade Mall until 6 April before moving to Canal Walk and Kenilworth Centre.
Small change, big difference
Speaking about the pop-up, the two young presenters highlighted several easy steps residents can take to reduce their energy consumption.
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“It’s the smallest thing you can do,” Yusriyyah Slamdien explained, “whether it’s just using a non-electric insulation cooker or filling the kettle to the exact amount of water you need instead of more, because that would mean it goes for a shorter period of time, goes in quicker, saves electricity.”
Light-bulb moments
Other recommended measures include switching off lights and electrical switches when not in use, and replacing traditional bulbs with light-emitting diode (LED) lights.
“It’s switching to LEDs because it’s more cost-effective and it actually lasts longer and shines brighter compared to the other lights,” Slamdien added.
He and fellow presenter Linathi Sinama from Philippi said that the light-bulb display, which showed exactly how many watts the different kinds of bulbs use and how much heat each gives off, seemed to surprise visitors to the pop-up the most.
Also shown was how insulating ceiling reduced home heating and cooling costs and how hot bags could be used to reduce energy consumption while cooking.
“The next step would be to register your solar panel and then have it installed the right way so that the city can know who has a solar panel and who doesn’t,” Sinama said.
Festival roll-out
The Cape Town Future Energy Festival will be rolled out city-wide to show residents how to bring energy-smart solutions into homes, schools and communities.
It will be brought to residents via pop-ups, and an exhibition at the Building Centre in Ysterplaat, which will give visitors a real-life example of net-zero carbon living. The exhibition is open to the public Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 16:00, and weekends from 10:00 to 15:00. Expert guides will be available on:
- 11 April 2026 from 09:00 to 13:00
- 1 May 2026 from 09:00 to 13:00
- 6 June 2026 from 09:00 to 13:00
There will also be a programme for seniors and solar panel registration drive.
The initiative supports the City’s carbon-free drive which aims at making buildings carbon-free citywide by 2050.
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