City Power
By Mpho Moloi
City Power is urging its customers to reduce electricity usage in order to alleviate pressure on its grid, as Johannesburg grapples with a perfect storm of challenges. This plea comes as Eskom, South Africa’s national power utility, implements stage 3 load shedding until Monday, compounding existing woes for the municipal utility already battling outage backlogs caused by recent heavy rainfall.
Stage 3 Load Shedding Hits as City Power Faces Mounting Pressure
South Africans woke up to the unwelcome news on Friday that Eskom would implement stage 3 load shedding, a measure set to continue through the weekend until Monday morning. For City Power, Johannesburg’s electricity distributor, this announcement couldn’t have come at a worse time. The utility is still reeling from widespread outages triggered by heavy rainfall earlier this week, which damaged critical infrastructure across the city.
City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena told reporters that the combination of load shedding and weather-related disruptions is stretching the utility’s resources thin. “The reintroduction of load shedding comes at a time when City Power is dealing with a number of outage backlogs attributed to recent heavy rainfall that caused significant damage to the utility’s infrastructure,” Mangena said. He warned that the additional strain from load shedding could delay efforts to restore power to affected areas.
The rainfall, which battered Gauteng on Wednesday night, led to localised flooding that damaged transformers, cables, and substations. By Thursday, City Power had logged over 5,000 outage-related queries, a figure Mangena described as unprecedented. “We’re working around the clock to repair the damage, but the added pressure from load shedding may cause further delays in responding to outstanding outages,” he explained.
ALSO READ: Eskom Steps Up Maintenance Work to Stabilise Grid Ahead of Winter
Eskom’s decision to implement stage 3 load shedding stems from unplanned outages at key power stations, including Kusile and Koeberg, where multiple units have gone offline. According to a Business Day report on 5 March 2025, the utility has ramped up maintenance efforts to bolster grid reliability ahead of the winter season. However, these efforts have come at a cost, with reduced generation capacity triggering the current round of power cuts.
For Johannesburg residents, this means adhering to City Power’s load shedding schedule, with blocks like 1, 2, and 3 affected from 08:00 to 10:30 on Saturday, and others following in rotation. The utility has urged customers to check its website for the latest updates and to switch off non-essential appliances to prevent network overload when power is restored.
Cable Theft and Vandalism Surge During Load Shedding
Adding to City Power’s woes is a troubling spike in criminal activity targeting its infrastructure. Mangena highlighted a recurring issue that flares up during load shedding periods: cable theft and vandalism. “During this period, we often encounter, also during load shedding, an increase in the number of cases of cable theft and vandalism,” he said.
This isn’t a new problem for Johannesburg. A report by Eyewitness News on 7 March 2025 noted that cable theft has plagued City Power for years, costing millions of rands in repairs and lost revenue. The darkened streets and reduced security presence during power cuts provide fertile ground for criminals to strike. Stolen copper cables, often sold on the black market, leave entire neighbourhoods without power for days or even weeks.
Mangena appealed to the public for help. “We appeal to customers to be vigilant and to report any movement around essential electricity infrastructure, so that we do not find ourselves dealing with the outages caused by cable theft,” he said. Residents can report suspicious activity to City Power’s hotline or the South African Police Service (SAPS).
A Call to Reduce Electricity Usage: Why It Matters
City Power’s plea for customers to cut back on electricity usage isn’t just about easing the immediate crisis – it’s a bid to prevent a total collapse of the local grid. When power is restored after load shedding, a phenomenon known as “inrush current” can overwhelm the system as appliances kick back on simultaneously. This can lead to tripped circuits, blown transformers, and prolonged outages.
“We’re asking everyone to play their part,” Mangena said in a statement on Friday. “Switch off geysers, pool pumps, and heaters when they’re not needed. Unplug appliances during load shedding to avoid that sudden surge when the power comes back.” The utility has also shared energy-saving tips on its social media platforms, encouraging residents to adopt habits like using gas for cooking or installing solar water heaters.
Posts on X from City Power’s official handle (@CityPowerJhb) reinforce this message. On 7 March, the utility tweeted: “Be smart! Save electricity by turning off all non-essential appliances. Help maintain a stable power grid during load shedding.” Another post warned: “During loadshedding, unplug all appliances to prevent inrush current when power supply is restored. This minimises the risk of network disruptions.”
The Human Cost: Residents and Businesses Feel the Pinch
For Johannesburg’s residents, the combination of load shedding and weather-induced outages is more than an inconvenience – it’s a daily struggle. Thandi Mokoena, a single mother from Soweto, told The Star on 7 March 2025 that she’s had to throw out spoiled food after losing power for over 12 hours. “I can’t afford a generator, and now I’m worried about how I’ll feed my kids this weekend,” she said.
Small businesses are also bearing the brunt. In Alexandra, a township hit hard by Wednesday’s storms, restaurant owner Sipho Ndlovu said he’s losing customers due to unreliable electricity. “When the lights go out, I can’t cook or keep the fridge running. People just leave,” he lamented. A survey by the Small Business Institute last year found that 85% of small business owners in South Africa reported revenue losses due to load shedding, with 20% considering closure if the situation doesn’t improve.
The economic ripple effects are undeniable. Johannesburg, the country’s economic hub, relies on a stable power supply to keep factories, offices, and shops running. With load shedding back in play, the city’s fragile recovery from years of energy woes faces yet another setback.
City Power’s Response: A Race Against Time
City Power has mobilised repair teams to tackle the outage backlog, but the scale of the damage is daunting. Flooded substations in low-lying areas like Roodepoort and Randburg require extensive repairs, while downed power lines in informal settlements pose safety risks. “Our technicians are out there, working in tough conditions,” Mangena said. “But we need the weather to cooperate and the load shedding to ease up.”
The utility has also appealed to Eskom for better coordination. Unlike Eskom, which manages generation and transmission, City Power is responsible for distribution within Johannesburg. When Eskom cuts power, City Power has little control over the timing or duration, leaving it scrambling to manage the fallout.
On Friday, City Power issued a statement acknowledging the frustration of its 400,000-plus customers. “We understand the anger and inconvenience this causes,” it read. “We’re doing everything we can to restore power and keep the grid stable.”
Broader Context: South Africa’s Ongoing Energy Crisis
The current crisis in Johannesburg is a microcosm of South Africa’s broader energy struggles. Since load shedding began in 2007, Eskom has battled aging infrastructure, corruption, and mismanagement. A BBC News article from 6 August 2024 noted that while the utility achieved over four months without load shedding last year – the longest stretch in years – the system remains vulnerable. Unplanned outages, like those at Kusile and Koeberg, continue to expose its fragility.
President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Energy Action Plan, announced in July 2022, aimed to address these issues by boosting private sector involvement and fast-tracking renewable energy projects. The R254 billion debt relief package for Eskom, rolled out last year, has helped fund maintenance, but experts warn it’s a short-term fix. “We’re not out of the woods yet,” Eskom spokesperson Daphne Mokwena told the BBC. “The probability of going back to load shedding is slim if we keep doing what we’re doing, but we can’t rule it out.”
For City Power, the challenge is compounded by local factors. Illegal connections, a persistent problem in townships, overload transformers and exacerbate outages. Mangena estimated that 5% of Johannesburg households are affected by what Eskom calls “load reduction” – targeted cuts to prevent equipment failure due to overuse.
Weather Woes: Climate Change Adds to the Strain
The heavy rainfall that crippled City Power’s infrastructure this week is part of a broader pattern. South Africa has seen increasingly erratic weather, with storms and flooding becoming more frequent. A News24 report on 6 March 2025 linked these conditions to climate change, noting that Gauteng’s aging electrical grid is ill-equipped to cope.
During Thursday’s downpour, lightning strikes knocked out power in parts of Midrand, while flooded streets delayed repair crews. “We had to pull teams back for safety reasons,” Mangena said. “It’s a double blow – the damage happens faster than we can fix it.”
Eskom has faced similar issues. At Kusile, adverse weather disrupted coal supply operations, contributing to the unit failures that sparked this weekend’s load shedding. As climate change intensifies, experts warn that utilities like City Power and Eskom must adapt or risk more frequent disruptions.
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