1. INTRODUCTION: 1,200,000,000.00 people in the world (approximately twenty percent of the population) do not have access to electricity. In South Africa alone, twenty-five percent of households live in non-electrified areas and rely on candles or kerosene lamps for basic lighting (reference). With the growing demand for electricity and the depletion of fossil fuels currently used to generate electricity, these people risk being left without connections for years. In an attempt to resolve this problem, “GREEN LANTERNS CO. » was approached and tasked with building and testing a solar lantern (prototype) that would be suitable for the Southern African context and would be able to supplement the need for basic lighting in non-electrified areas. Solar lanterns harness a free, renewable energy source and are also environmentally friendly. They can therefore be seen as a means of reducing reliance on rudimentary lighting methods in southern Africa. The design proposed in this report is a solar lantern because it is portable, easy to use, efficient and relatively inexpensive to manufacture and meets all specifications in the design brief. This report is structured in such a way that it includes a literature review on solar lanterns, design specifications, manufacturing specifications and drawings of the chosen design. Experimental tests were conducted to determine the ideal weather conditions for prototype operation as well as the charging and discharging time intervals. Theoretical Background: To evaluate whether the solar lantern presented in this report will be able to meet basic lighting needs. in non-electrified areas, the environmental, financial and safety advantages, disadvantages as well as the history of use...... middle of article...... Conclusion: From the literature examined, it is quite evident that the solar lantern could be the immediate solution for basic lighting in non-electrified areas. The solar lantern harnesses a free and sustainable source of energy, is simple to manufacture, easy to use and requires minimal maintenance or repairs. In the South African context, where South Africa receives approximately 2,500 hours of sunshine per year, the solar lantern is an ideal choice (Zawilska et. al., 2011). Although there are pros and cons mentioned, the benefits of the solar lantern far outweigh the cons. Therefore, the implementation of solar lanterns in non-electrified areas will be a great success. Works Cited (Recent Advances in Lithium-Ion Battery Materials Bruno Scrosati Electrochimica Acta Volume 45, Issues 15-16, May 3, 2000, Pages 2461–2466)