South Africa’s electricity problem has become a national crisis, with almost 10 million qualifying for free basic electricity but only 2 million receiving it due to inefficient local governance. The government’s countermeasure provides free basic service, but the qualification process is intricate, and poor implementation at the municipal level obstructs its efficacy. The government needs to develop a more trustworthy method to guarantee households benefit from free electricity, with revising the country’s electricity pricing policy and ensuring efficient governance at the municipal level being crucial initial steps towards a resolution.
