2024 - Simanyene | Together we are one

In South Africa informal traders make up a third of the revenue generated in our soci- ety. Public spaces with foot traffic serves as an invaluable space for these vendors. Many of them being the only income generating members of their household.

Simanyene project looks at providing these vendors a safe space on busy bus and pedestrian routes by converting bus stops into a hub of activity where they are able to sell their products. The act and daily lives of many, effecting one.

The roof plays an integral part as it is set on a timer that pivots towards the sun and follows the sun path to ensure that the solar panels are harvesting the sun to resulting in bus stops that are lit up even when the sun goes down.

This is to ensure that these bus stops become a safe, well lit hive of activity benefiting not only the street vendor but the community as a whole.

In the evenings the sun that has been harvested throughout the day, will be used to power the solar lights, imitating the stars to make the bus stop a well lit safe space for commuters who are waiting for the bus or passing on their way home by foot.

Each bus stop will be fitted with 9 solar panels, three on each platform of the roof. The roof will be made from steel and there will be a motor that is programmed to make each panel move.

Once the street vendor has left to go home the bus stop will go into night mode, where both sides will be angled down which will allow better light into the bus stop. The vendor is able to push in the table and lock up his shelves so he doesn’t need to carry the goods to and from the bus stop daily, improving their commute too.