Eskom, South Africa’s power utility, needs help in providing a stable and reliable power supply. With Stage 6 load shedding already implemented, experts predict the possibility of higher stages during the upcoming winter season. A new national standards document is being developed to guide loadshedding schedules up to Stage 16.
The Pretoria High Court has ordered the South African government to equip public facilities, such as hospitals, clinics, police stations, and schools, with generators and diesel to ensure an uninterrupted power supply within 60 days. The ruling raises concerns about the economic implications of this directive, as the cost of generators and diesel would be an expensive undertaking for taxpayers, funded by general taxes.
The City of Cape Town is implementing a prepaid electricity meter software upgrade program to ensure that all prepaid meters in South Africa are updated before their expiry date in 2024. The upgrade requires the installation of new software to ensure compliance. Approximately 300,000 prepaid meters have already been updated, and the remaining 26 areas will be addressed in the coming months.
