As a leading supplier of solar lanterns, decorative garden lights and eco-friendly security lighting, we recognise that many valued clients across South Africa haven’t installed solar-powered outdoor lights before, are sceptical about their functionality, or assume that solar lighting cannot perform as well as conventional wired lights.

In reality, energy-efficient solar lighting outperforms its electricity-dependent counterparts on many levels, from being easier to fit to significantly cheaper to run, with the reliability of a stunning set of solar lanterns that are impervious to power outages.

We’ve collated this short guide to clarify the many advantages of choosing a Solar Lantern Garden Light for your garden makeover or to get your al fresco dining and entertaining space ready. We’ll share some practical tips about positioning your lights for maximum impact while ensuring the solar battery achieves a full-power recharge each day.

The Appeal and Usage of Solar Lanterns for Garden Areas

Lanterns often stand out from more modern garden lights as a design feature. While they incorporate all the cutting-edge solar technology we build into all of our lighting models, they look more in line with heritage architecture, period properties, and sophisticated outdoor spaces—without sharp lines, straight edges, or stark illuminations that could detract from the ambience you’re after.

Another fantastic reason to choose solar lanterns – which work perfectly in pairs or sets – is that these subtle yet warming outdoor solar lights can be fitted almost anywhere that makes sense within your landscaping and has six or more hours of sunlight per day. For example:

  • Placing bracketing lanterns on either side of a path, step, or walkway creates a symmetrical aesthetic that makes a space feel ‘finished’ with impeccable attention to detail.
  • Rows of lanterns along flower beds or treelines provide soft but visible lighting, highlighting planting schemes and foliage without being overpowering.
  • Adding matching lanterns in opposite corners of a pagoda or pergola, or at each side of a deck, provides enough lighting for dining and conversation while retaining a level of unintrusive lighting that doesn’t feel too bright.
  • Single lanterns work incredibly well in areas designed for relaxation and peace—for example, a light carefully placed next to a garden reading nook or hammock can banish deep shadows in a secluded corner.

Without a wall fitting, complex brackets, or drilling, lanterns can be simply slotted into soft ground and soil. Every unit includes a ground spike for immediate installation, which enables you to either fit your lights straight away or experiment with different placements until you are satisfied.

Alternatively, you can use the circular foot to erect your solar garden lanterns on a hard standing like decking, a patio or a seating area. You’ll find full instructions provided within our user manual if you’d like to double-check that your lights are secure and stable.

Choosing Great Positioning for Solar Garden Lanterns to Achieve a Full Recharge

When deciding where to place your solar lights, there are two key aspects: the feel and appearance you’d like your garden to have and the placement options with sufficient sunlight to ensure the advanced ALS technology can function to its full capacity.

That’s because a full charge, achieved from direct sunlight, ensures the solar battery has the maximum amount of solar energy stored. When the weather is overcast or rainy, solar lights cannot recharge, so the step-down features prolong the last full charge for longer, ensuring your lights will still work well.

Automatic day and night switches add to this functionality, ensuring the lights won’t remain on during the day and won’t waste solar power during periods when your lanterns aren’t required.

Installing even the most innovative and beautiful solar lights somewhere in the shade or with partial sunlight can dampen the impact and mean that the battery runs flat much sooner than it should—which you can avoid by picking the right locations that will ensure the solar battery lasts its full expected lifespan of 12+ years.

While wired lights often have limitations depending on where your outdoor power sockets are or the maximum length of your cabling, there are no such restrictions on solar lanterns, which work perfectly in any location with all-important sunlight.

Maintaining and Cleaning a Set of Solar Garden Lanterns

A standout benefit of solar lights is that they require almost no maintenance other than cleaning any dust or debris from the solar panel to ensure it doesn’t interrupt the charging process.

There are no cables or wires, no live electricity, and no plugs or sockets to worry about, which also means that if you change your mind about where you’d like your lanterns to be or restructure your garden layout for a party or special occasion, you can do so without safety risks.

It’s also very likely you’d like your carefully chosen lanterns to look perfect if you’re hosting a celebration, and you can simply wipe down the lighting fixture or use a damp cloth with any mild soap to ensure the durable, anti-corrosion body is clean.

We select these casing materials with great care. The outer lighting unit is waterproof, accredited to IP54 standards, and suited for installation even in coastal regions with a higher saline content in the air—all of which means your lights will perform optimally and remain looking as-new for years to come.

Picking the Perfect Solar Lanterns for Your Property and Outdoor Space

The Solar Lantern Garden Light is a high-demand model for many reasons. The attention to detail in the architecture of the lighting unit, with gentle curves and a classic ambience, ensures it stands out.

However, if you have a modern and contemporary home or a stylised garden, you can also consider alternative lanterns from our range of solar lights, taking a twist on this timeless design and injecting a fresh, modern and sleek finish.

Our Solar Area Trident Light is one example. It is a refined, ultra-modern lantern with a futuristic, design–centric shape that provides all the benefits in terms of flexible installation, automation, functionality, durability, and maintenance, as we’ve outlined here.