## 4 Discussion  
The originality of this study lies in the fact that solar-powered groundwater pumping schemes and MUS need to be adapted to very site-specific environmental and socio-economic conditions. In the context of South Africa, in particular in Greater Giyani Municipality in Limpopo, the primary challenges are climate change with increased frequency of drought and water scarcity, poverty and unemployment, and the lack of water reticulation and grid electricity systems, coupled with a current national energy crisis. Solar-powered groundwater pumping and MUS schemes are adaptation strategies that may address all these challenges. Similar international research has been conducted in the Youssoufia Province of Morocco through the project IMAGINE, where water-energy-food nexus adaptation interventions were established by empowering poor rural communities [63]. The approach is also consistent with the Adaptive Investment Pathways (AdIP) proposed by [64] for irrigation development in Sub-Saharan Africa. They argued that large investments in irrigation schemes could be less efficient than smaller developments that are consistent with the sparse nature of small-holder farming and solar energy resource availability. Ref. [64] provided a case study of irrigation from ephemeral sand rivers. The sites in the current study have boreholes that are either connected to a national grid power line or are powered through the use of fuel (diesel or petrol) in order to pump water. The establishment of boreholes has helped communities with drinking water supply and small-scale farmers to produce more crops to sell to the locals and markets. However, since their crop produce increased, the constant rise in the prices of traditional sources of energy brought challenges as it became expensive to pump water. These challenges also affected the community at large as the locals cannot afford to buy their own fuel or electricity for water pumps and the local government is not always prompt in assisting and subsidizing the communities by supplying them with electrical power or diesel. The opportunity emerged to consider alternative power sources, which can be efficient for pumping water and meet the water needs of the community at much lower costs. Solar water pumps are suitable for use in rural areas, and they are cheaper to use as compared to diesel and electricity. Gaining the approval/support from the community is important for any project prior to its implementation. The social aspects of the transition to solar-operated systems are critical as communities need to play a bigger role in the management, maintenance and security of such systems compared to bulk supply and conventional systems. Likewise, there is a need for the full engagement of the water services authorities, especially if there is an intention of them taking over developments or if there is the anticipation that water governance institutions adopt solar-powered systems more widely within rural settings. Failing this is likely to have considerable consequences for broad adoption and for the emergence of funding models. The case study sites lend themselves very well to build on current infrastructure, e.g., boreholes and water reservoirs have been established, pumps and pipelines are operating, etc. Financial constraints pertaining to the high cost of fuel and electricity appear to be high on the community agendas, which justifies the capital investment in renewable energy sources to power the water supply systems. This can be a cheaper option in the long run. Most villages do not have water on tap or the accompanying infrastructure, which makes the need for water supply interventions urgent. Likewise, the support of regulatory authorities is essential in the issuing of water and environmental licenses (government authorities) and for land use or permission to occupy land (traditional authorities).