The next generation of energy champions in Cape Town is already taking charge—armed with crayons, paintbrushes, and a mission to create a more sustainable future.
Spine Road High School has been crowned the overall winner of the Energy Efficiency Schools Programme (EESP) Poster Competition, hosted at the City of Cape Town’s Smart Living Education Centre in Green Point. The initiative, which saw participation from ten high schools across the metro, challenged learners to creatively express energy-efficient habits and renewable energy solutions through art.
The competition forms part of the City’s broader Energy Efficiency and Demand Side Management (EEDSM) initiative, a collaboration between the City and the Department of Electricity and Energy (DEE). The goal: to promote awareness about sustainable energy use, reduce carbon emissions, and empower youth to become active participants in the city’s transition toward a greener, more resilient energy future.
Alderman Xanthea Limberg, Mayoral Committee Member for Energy, emphasised the importance of youth education in climate action.
“Educating our young people on energy efficiency and renewable energy is essential as they are key change-makers,” she said. “They influence how households and schools use energy. Through creative initiatives like this, we’re building a generation that will carry sustainable practices into their homes and communities.”
Spine Road High learners Mogammad Niyaaz Petersen and Faith Joubert accepted the top prize—an R15 000 stationery voucher for their school—while Norman Henshilwood High and Livingstone High took second and third place respectively. Each participating school also received energy-efficient appliances and vouchers to support continued learning around sustainability.
The EESP is aligned with South Africa’s National Energy Efficiency Strategy and integrated into the CAPS school curriculum, ensuring that learners gain both theoretical understanding and practical knowledge of sustainable energy use.
The poster competition also marks the launch of the Cape Town Future Energy Festival, a citywide campaign aimed at empowering residents to make smarter energy choices. The festival will provide practical tools and resources to help households save energy, reduce costs, and adapt to the evolving energy landscape.
By combining creativity with climate awareness, Cape Town’s youth are proving that the path to a sustainable energy future begins in the classroom—and sometimes, with a box of crayons.
