Written By: Faith Jemosop
South Africa’s electricity crisis has become a daily reality for millions. Power cuts, known locally as “load shedding” now feel like a normal part of life. But in a country blessed with abundant energy resources, solar, wind, hydro, coal, and even growing geothermal capacity, why is the crisis still worsening? Is this a matter beyond human control, or is it a political and systemic failure that just doesn’t make sense anymore?
For years now, South Africans have been experiencing rolling blackouts, sometimes for hours each day. The country’s power utility, Eskom, frequently implements scheduled power cuts to prevent a total grid collapse. These outages disrupt businesses, schools, hospitals, and households.
The contradiction is glaring: how can a country with so much energy potential have such little power? South Africa is not only the most industrialized nation in Africa but also home to some of the continent’s largest renewable energy installations. It has solar radiation levels among the best in the world, vast open lands for wind farms, a historic reliance on coal, and growing hydro and geothermal capabilities. Yet, the lights keep going off.
The Epicenter of the Crisis
At the heart of South Africa’s electricity woes is Eskom, the state-owned power utility responsible for 90% of electricity generation. Once a symbol of national pride, Eskom has become a cautionary tale of mismanagement, corruption, and decay.
Aging infrastructure, under-investment in maintenance, and delayed new projects have left the grid vulnerable. More than half of Eskom’s coal-fired power stations are over 40 years old, making them prone to frequent breakdowns. And while there are plans to transition toward renewables, progress has been painfully slow.
The government has announced multiple rescue plans over the past decade, bailouts, leadership changes, even unbundling the company into three units, but little has changed on the ground. The people are still in the dark, literally and figuratively.
Political Incompetence or Intentional Sabotage?
The persistence of the crisis has led many South Africans to ask harder questions: Is this just incompetence? Is someone benefiting from the chaos? Is the crisis even meant to be solved?
There is growing suspicion that political interference and corruption are at the root of the problem. From dodgy coal contracts to inflated procurement deals, billions have been siphoned off from Eskom, weakening its ability to function.
Additionally, energy policy in South Africa has been marred by inconsistent direction. Renewable energy projects often face delays due to bureaucratic red tape or political infighting. Independent Power Producers (IPPs), who could offer cleaner and more reliable electricity, struggle to get onto the grid because Eskom remains the gatekeeper and competitor.
South Africa has immense renewable energy potential:
- Solar: With more than 2,500 hours of sunlight annually, solar power could revolutionize South Africa’s energy future. The Northern Cape, in particular, is ideal for solar farms.
- Wind: Coastal areas like the Western and Eastern Cape have high wind speeds, with several successful wind projects already in place.
- Hydropower: Though limited compared to other sources, South Africa does import some hydroelectric power from neighbors like Mozambique and Zambia, supplementing its capacity.
- Geothermal: Emerging studies show the country has untapped geothermal potential in regions like Limpopo and the Karoo.
Despite these advantages, South Africa still generates more than 80% of its electricity from coal, a highly polluting and increasingly unreliable source. Meanwhile, renewable energy projects face long procurement processes and lack political backing.
Human Cost of Load Shedding
Beyond the numbers and debates, the electricity crisis has a real human cost. Businesses are closing because they cannot operate reliably. Students can’t study at night. Hospitals run on backup generators. Unemployment rises as productivity shrinks. The most affected are poor and working-class South Africans, who have no choice but to endure the blackout after blackout.
For small businesses, inconsistent power means lost income. For big industries, it means reduced output and lower investor confidence. The South African Reserve Bank estimates that load shedding costs the economy over R900 million (about $50 million USD) per day.
So, What’s the Real Problem?
The big question remains: Is this crisis still a technical problem, or has it become a political one?
Technically, South Africa should be able to generate enough electricity. Even if Eskom’s old plants are unreliable, renewable energy and IPPs could close the gap. The country has the sun, the wind, and the investors. What’s missing is leadership.
Politics, more than physics, seems to be the biggest roadblock. Policy paralysis, vested interests, and corruption have all contributed to dragging out the crisis. In some cases, vested coal interests lobby against renewables. In others, procurement scandals delay needed infrastructure projects.
It’s also possible that some political actors benefit from the crisis. An unreliable grid creates opportunities for rent-seeking through diesel generator sales, overpriced fuel tenders, and emergency contracts.
Also read: Why Millions of Kenyans Still Lack Electricity Despite Abundant Renewable Resources
Experts agree that the crisis can be solved, but only if there is political will, transparency, and private sector inclusion.
Some of the proposed solutions include:
- Accelerating renewable energy procurement through the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP).
- Allowing municipalities to generate their own power from renewables and feed it into the grid.
- Investing in transmission infrastructure to support decentralized energy generation.
- Reforming Eskom’s governance by removing political appointments and making it accountable to professional energy regulators.
Recently, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the lifting of licensing requirements for private energy producers up to 100 MW. This was hailed as a breakthrough, but implementation remains slow.
