Electricity crisis escalates in South Africa

Audio 01:20

A city employee cuts an electrical cable illegally connected to the network in the Brixton area of ​​Johannesburg, June 9, 2022. AFP - MARCO LONGARI

Text by: RFI Follow

2 mins

Load shedding reached extreme levels in June, July and September in South Africa.

In recent days, 50% of the country's electricity production capacity has been shut down.

In question, aging coal-fired power plants that break down or whose maintenance operations are increasing.

But also the corruption and poor governance of Eskom, the public electricity supplier.

Load shedding results in power cuts: sometimes up to 11 hours a day these days.

A blow for companies, which have no choice but to continue working.

Report at a steel wholesaler in Johannesburg.

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With our correspondent in Johannesburg,

Several diesel cans are piled up behind a grid.

A hundred liters are needed to power the generator every day.

While running, the generator recently broke down, explains Henry Ohams, supply manager.

There comes a time when he needs to breathe.

Here, it runs 24 hours a day, and for a few days already.

The store must continue to run, as well as the generator which works non-stop.

And when there are load shedding at night, the generator must be turned on to power the alarm and security systems.

NJR Steel Westdene says it spends more than 150 euros on diesel per day.

"The telephone lines are completely cut"

On the administration side, everything works as if nothing had happened.

Except when the current suddenly stops and the generator has to take over a few seconds later.

This is enough to lose customers, explains Luanri Du Randt, receptionist.

The telephone lines are completely cut and we have customers who shout at us asking us why we hung up.

But when we tell them that we have load shedding, they understand, because everyone has it.

We lost customers.

You see them come in and then turn around and leave.

On leaving the company, a security officer challenges us on the subject of load shedding and shares his feeling of downgrading.

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The electricity crisis forced President Cyril Ramaphosa to cancel his trip to New York, where he was to attend the United Nations General Assembly.

The South African president must put the question of electricity on the table this Wednesday, September 21, when he meets his cabinet.

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• South Africa

• Energies

• Cyril Ramaphosa