Zander Venter – The Conversation

Publicly available satellite images show that homes in upper income suburbs are most likely to have solar systems. Middle income houses have far fewer, while low income homes have none. Imagery © Airbus 2025. Compiled by Zander Venter.

May 20, 2025

Satellite images reveal the dark side of household solar power – South Africa’s green transition is only for a few

Zander Venter, The Norwegian Institute for Nature Research; Megan Davies, Stellenbosch University, and Samantha L. Scott, The Norwegian Institute for Nature Research

Solar energy adoption is booming in South Africa, but it’s mostly benefiting wealthier, white communities.

Investment in public parks can help reduce crime. Peter Titmuss/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images.

November 9, 2022

Crime is lower when cities are greener: evidence from South Africa supports the link

Charlie Shackleton, Rhodes University; Andrew Faull, University of Cape Town; Gregory Breetzke, University of Pretoria; Ian Edelstein, University of Cape Town, and Zander Venter, The Norwegian Institute for Nature Research

People may think that green spaces often hide criminals. On the contrary, there is evidence they contribute to reducing crime.

Virtually all South African cities remain under a form of green apartheid. GettyImages

July 29, 2020

We mapped green spaces in South Africa and found a legacy of apartheid

Zander Venter, The Norwegian Institute for Nature Research

In South African cities there’s an uneven distribution of trees, greenery and parks across racial and income geographies.

An example of woody plant encroachment over Eagle-Siding in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province. D Edwards (1954) and James Puttick (2010). Images courtesy of rePhotoSA.

August 13, 2018

Woody plants on the march: trees and shrubs are encroaching across Africa

Zander Venter, University of Cape Town

Woody plants’ cover has increased across large swathes of the continent in the past three decades.

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