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Apr
20
2023
By The African Mirror
South Africa’s power outages could reach critical levels this winter – likely scenarios

South Africa’s power outages could reach critical levels this winter – likely scenarios

SPECIAL FEATURES: ANALYSIS
OVER the past 15 years South Africa has been experiencing a gradually worsening number of electricity cuts. This state of affairs has prompted frustration among citizens, negative international economic sentiment and financial hardship for many businesses. Public pressure has grown more intense, leading to the extraordinary presidential decision by President Cyril Ramaphosa to proclaim a state of disaster as well as to appoint a Minister of Electricity. Author HARTMUT WINKLER, Professor of Physics, University of Johannesburg The year 2022 was marked by the worst power outages in the country’s history. Electricity generation deficits reached up to 6 GW on occasion,…
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Jul
22
2022
By The African Mirror
South Africa’s power cuts widen digital divide and wealth gaps

South Africa’s power cuts widen digital divide and wealth gaps

NEWS
KIM HARRISBERG LIKE many students preparing for exams, Lindokuhle Mdlalose has been revising in the early hours of the morning and losing out on sleep. However, the 21-year-old's midnight study sessions are by necessity, not choice, as power cuts cripple South Africa. The country's worst electricity blackouts in more than two years, intended to take pressure off the creaking power grid after worker strikes and years of poor maintenance, have left households struggling during several hours of darkness each day. Those that can afford extra internet data, generators and solar panels are managing to cope, but for many, their studies,…
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Apr
06
2021
By The African Mirror
Why South Africa’s electricity blackouts are set to continue for the next five years

Why South Africa’s electricity blackouts are set to continue for the next five years

SCIENCE, TECH AND INNOVATION
SOUTH Africa is once more experiencing periodic power cuts. These typically take the form of scheduled supply interruptions, for two to four hours a day, whenever the country’s electricity system is overloaded. Such overloading currently happens on 40-50 days a year. HARTMUT WINKLER, Professor of Physics, University of Johannesburg Eskom, the country’s power utility, recently admitted that such interruptions are likely to persist for as long as the next five years. This is because of the increased down-time of the rapidly ageing fleet of coal plants. But it is also due to delays in setting up new power plants. The…
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