7 Min Read
JOHANNESBURG (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - When property developer Anver Essop bought land in Cape Town’s gang-ridden Cape Flats area, people laughed at him for considering it an investment.
Now, 12 years later, the Watergate Estate is a sought-after refuge that will soon be donned with solar panels funded through an online leasing platform, making it, Essop hopes, a “blueprint” for green, safe and cheap homes across South Africa.
The marketplace, Sun Exchange, allows people to buy individual solar cells with cash or bitcoin and then lease them to power solar projects in emerging economies, resulting in lower electricity costs for residents.
Crypto power: Can solar panels boost cheap, green homes in S Africa?
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Crypto power: Can solar panels boost cheap, green homes in S Africa?
reuters.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from reuters.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
FEATURE-Cash, no strings attached: New U.S. programs for pandemic poor Reuters 2 hrs ago Controversial plans are seen as effective and equitable
Popular Searches Pandemic has fueled policymakers interest
By Carey L. Biron
WASHINGTON, April 20 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Handouts lead to laziness and breed dependency, according to the critics. Advocates counter that cash can lift the left-behind out of poverty. What better time to test it out than a pandemic?
A high-stakes experiment is underway in a deprived corner of the U.S. capital, with backers eager to see what happens when poor Americans are given cash payments for a limited time, no strings attached.