Unfortunately, load shedding is a common occurrence in many African countries and South Africa is no different. In South Africa, the problem lies within the demand and supply of power. Eskom, the South African electricity public utility, does not have enough electricity reserve hence the inability to meet demand. The country was first introduced to load shedding in 2008 as a measure for preventing a nationwide blackout. The load shedding program has still continued to this day with many temporary localised blackouts across the country.
Unfortunately, there is no end in sight. In 2021, Eskom CEO, André De Ruyter, said that there will be a shortage of electricity supply of about 4,000 in the next 5 years.
Factors that cause load shedding in South Africa
Low Capacity
The main cause of load shedding in the country is limited electricity supply vs higher electricity demand. The solution? Eskom will have to invest in increasing generating capacity and other energy sources like solar to reduce pressure.
Supply Problem
Unfortunately, the power sector has still not experienced the needed technology revolution. and running on an old system and machines to generate power in this new age is laughable. Our system still uses coal as a source of energy, which is not only unhealthy for the environment because it is unrenewable but unreliable. So the utility service has to increase operational capacity so that electricity generation & supply is consistent and sustainable.
What citizens can do about it
Unfortunately, because of incompetence, an unsustainable energy source and the fact that load shedding has made some people richer, the load shedding problem is far from over. What does this mean for citizens, businesses, hospitals and other essentials etc? It means it is time for these groups to consider alternative power sources instead of relying on Eskom to get things in order. A great and sustainable alternative is solar power. You can install solar panels in your home and never have to worry about blackouts. Or buy an automatic generator that keeps things running as soon as a blackout occurs. But you have to remember the high costs of fuel will make using and maintaining an automatic generator expensive.
If you cannot afford any of the solutions stated above, you may have to follow the load shedding schedules so that you are always better prepared when there is a blackout.
