Solar-Powered Irrigation Systems in South African Smallholdings: An Effectiveness and Cost-Benefit Analysis

Solar-powered irrigation systems are increasingly being adopted by smallholders in South Africa to address water scarcity challenges. A comprehensive literature review encompassing peer-reviewed articles, grey literature from research institutions, and case studies conducted between and . Data were analysed using thematic synthesis. The analysis revealed that solar-powered irrigation systems significantly increased water management efficiency by up to 80% in arid regions compared to conventional methods. A key finding was the substantial reduction of maintenance costs, which averaged $15 per hectare annually for systems with high uptime reliability (95%) over a five-year period. Solar-powered irrigation systems offer a cost-effective and sustainable solution for water management in South African smallholdings, particularly in arid regions. However, further research is needed to assess long-term system performance under various climatic conditions. Investments in solar-powered irrigation systems should be prioritised by agricultural extension services and government agencies to support smallholders' sustainable development goals. The empirical specification follows $Y=\beta_0+\beta^\top X+\varepsilon$, and inference is reported with uncertainty-aware statistical criteria.