ISD AcademyInstitute for Social Dialogue
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What this course is about

Many renewable energy projects in South Africa have a community trust as a part-owner. This course explains why, how the community's stake is paid for, why benefits can take years to arrive, and how trustees and communities can govern a trust well and hold it to account.

Who it is for

Community members near wind, solar and storage projects, community and company trustees, beneficiaries, ward committee members, and project staff who work with trusts.

What you will be able to do

  1. Explain why renewable energy projects have community owners.
  2. Describe how a community stake is financed and why dividends can arrive late.
  3. Identify the main duties of trustees and the basics of spending trust money well.
  4. Use accountability tools to raise concerns and resolve disputes about a trust.

Preview: the first two minutes

Module 1 · Introduction · 2 min

Villagers sit on plastic chairs under a large tree, with wind turbines on distant hills and a young trustee at the front.

Animated scene (fictional, Moya): at a village meeting, an elder asks, "They say we own part of the wind farm. So where is our money?" A young trustee does not know how to answer.

Modules

  1. Module 1 · 18 min

    Why projects have community owners

    Explain why renewable energy projects have community owners.

  2. Module 2 · 18 min

    Debt, and why dividends arrive late

    Describe how a community stake is financed and why dividends can arrive late.

  3. Module 3 · 18 min

    Trustees' duties and spending well

    Identify the main duties of trustees and the basics of spending trust money well.

  4. Module 4 · 18 min

    Accountability and disputes

    Use accountability tools to raise concerns and resolve disputes about a trust.

Go deeper

Optional, outside the 72 minutes.

Sources

Owning Together (Energy): Community Trusts | ISD Academy