Riddled with power outages and candlelit dinners (unfortunately not the romantic kind), saying that South Africans are frustrated with the erratic electricity output being provided by Eskom is an understatement. Unfortunately, the load shedding situation isn’t predicted to get any better in 2023, and the country will need to continue making other plans to implement some sort of normality in their lives.
Why is the load shedding situation not improving? How can we make sure our lives remain as stress-free as possible? We at SweepSouth want to make sure you’re kept in the loop so that you know how to prepare for the year ahead, and how you can avoid the detrimental effects of load shedding as best as possible.
Load Shedding News
2022 has been an uncomfortable year of uncertainty for South Africa as load shedding has only worsened as the year has progressed, which doesn’t spell good news for 2023. Stage 4 load shedding, which is made up of three power outages a day of 2,5 hours each, is what South Africans have experienced for the majority of this year. However, with the year drawing to a close, stage 6 load shedding has also made its way into the schedule. The higher stage means one of the power cuts has two extra hours added onto it, making it a 4.5 hour session.
So what is in store for 2023? Eskom spokesperson Sikonathi Mantshantsha repeated and confirmed that the current conditions point to a rockier road laying ahead in the new year. More than 170 days of load shedding were experienced in 2022, and these are the reasons why conditions are likely to worsen in the months to follow:
- A budget depletion to acquire diesel for the Open Cycle Gas Turbines.
- General refuelling and maintenance.
- Unit 1 of the Koeberg nuclear power station’s long-term operation project.
- A chimney failure that has caused three generation units to go offline at the Kusile power station.
A study conducted by Yazi, a Cape Town-based research firm, concluded that over 40% of respondents experienced an income loss between R1,000 and R5,000 per month because of power cuts. With longer power cuts looming, unfortunately, the financial situation could worsen. This is just one of the many ways that load shedding affects the community.
When Will Load Shedding End?
As it stands, there is no definitive answer to this question, especially because of ongoing sabotage and corruption taking place within and surrounding certain power stations. Eskom has, however, forecast that the load shedding struggles will continue until 2027. On the 30th of October, Eskom released a medium-term adequacy report, and these were some of the main points deriving from it:
- There is a negative outlook for 2023 to 2027 as systems won’t be able to fully meet demands across the country.
- Investigations into sabotage cases at Kusile and Tutuka power stations have shown that offenders received access to parts of those power plants, by management, so that once they had broken down plant equipment, management could receive a share of the profits from repair work.
- Another case where management intervened took place at Kriel power station in Mpumalanga. Diesel worth R200 000 was stolen by a truck driver who conspired with a clerk and someone from management.
- Matla power station has also seen its fair share of corruption as three cleaning contractors were arrested for copper cable theft.
- Plants that reach their turbine dead-stop dates will cause the generation fleet to reduce by 5,288MW between 2023 and 2027.
- At the end of 2027, Eskom’s energy availability factor will lie between 58% and 67%.
Load Shedding Schedule For Major Cities
Keeping up with the load shedding schedule can be a tiresome task, especially if you travel often and need to stay on track with the schedules of different cities. Luckily there is an easy way to stay in the loop so that you aren’t caught by surprise by unexpected power outages. Below are links to the sites where you can stay updated with the load shedding schedule for Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban:
- Load Shedding Johannesburg: https://www.citypower.co.za/customers/Pages/Load_Shedding_Downloads.aspx
- Load Shedding Cape Town: https://www.capetown.gov.za/Family%20and%20home/Residential-utility-services/Residential-electricity-services/Load-shedding-and-outages
- Load Shedding Durban: https://www.durban.gov.za/pages/search/load-shedding
Another useful resource for staying up to date is the myDorpie load shedding page. They give updates for all nine of South Africa’s provinces so that you can plan ahead no matter where in the country you are.
Load Shedding App
With load shedding being an unpredictable and ever-changing occurrence, we need to do our best to be notified of any changes as soon as they happen. Because there seems to be no end predicted for load shedding in the foreseeable future, certain apps were designed to shed some light on the situation so that we aren’t left in the dark. The most popular load shedding app currently being used by most of the country is EskomSePush.
If you’re looking for an all-inclusive load shedding app that gives you up-to-date news, changes in stages, and vital information to ease the stress of blackouts, Eskom Se Push is the way to go. To be absolutely sure that you have the latest news, check out the other apps for load shedding that are also extremely helpful.
Inverters And Generators
Without a full output of electricity, we are forced to make other plans to get through the day reasonably undisturbed. Whether it’s food in the fridge that’s at risk of going off, or a laptop battery that runs out fairly quickly, the reality is that we need power and electricity for various parts of our lives. Inverters and generators are two solutions that can provide much-needed power when the switch for your area is flipped, and you’re left having to wait a few hours for it to be flipped again.
While many stores that sell inverters and generators, Makro is up there as one of the best in the business. The inverters for sale at Makro come in various sizes, power outputs, and price ranges to meet the needs of people from all over. Makro generators also come in a wide variety of specifications to ensure there’s something for every business and household. Visit your nearest store or shop online to search through the inverter and generator prices at Makro to find the best deal on a Makro inverter and generator today. If you don’t have a Makro nearby, find out what the different inverter options are that you can get, and make an investment that will save you and your family heaps of disappointment and frustration.
Eskom Call Centre
Although we get the answers we need from tools such as load shedding apps, and therefore know what to expect, every now and then, some areas are hit with further complications. If you ever find yourself in such a predicament where you need help, get in touch with the Eskom call centre using the Eskom fault reporting number listed below:
08600 (Eskom) or 08600 37566
Conclusion
Although we don’t like to face the realisation, the fact of the matter is that load shedding is a problem that is still going to be around for a while. We aren’t completely doomed, though, as options and resources are available to ease the pressure of a difficult situation. Stay up to date and well-informed to make the best of a tricky situation. If you’re in a tricky situation at home surrounded by dust and dirt, without enough time on your hands to clean it, book a SweepSouth cleaning service for unmatched quality and the best results.
