Planned power outage to hit 19 Johannesburg areas this week

Residents in several Johannesburg neighbourhoods are being urged to prepare for a temporary power interruption this week as technicians carry out maintenance on the city’s electricity infrastructure.

According to City Power Johannesburg, a scheduled outage on Tuesday, 10 March 2026, will affect about 19 areas across the city.

The planned interruption will last up to eight hours, depending on the area, as crews work on two key substations.

For many Joburg residents already used to planning around load shedding schedules, another planned blackout means yet another day of careful planning from charging devices early to rearranging work-from-home routines.

Why the power will be switched off

City Power says the shutdown is necessary to allow technicians to carry out essential maintenance on the electricity network.

The work will take place at two substations:

• Mondeor Substation

• Observatory Substation

While the outage is temporary, the utility says these maintenance operations are important to prevent bigger disruptions later.

Planned outages like this are fairly common in Johannesburg, especially as the city works to upgrade ageing infrastructure that has struggled to keep up with growing demand.

Areas affected by the Mondeor substation outage

Power will be interrupted from 08:30 to 16:30 in the following areas:

• Pope Street

• Natal Street

• Grafton Road

• Bellevue East

• Hopkins Street

• Yeoville East

• Bellevue North

• Fortescue Street

• Grafton Road North

• Judith and Gerald Street

Residents in these neighbourhoods are advised to prepare for the full duration of the outage.

Areas affected by the Observatory substation outage

A separate outage will take place from 09:00 to 17:00 affecting the following locations:

• RMU 01090

• Cyriledene Centre

• Observatory North

• Bezuidenhout Valley

• Dewetshof Distributor

• Bruma

• RMU 01089

• Kensington Ext. 5

• Cyrildene corner Hettie Street

These suburbs sit in the eastern parts of Johannesburg and are serviced by the Observatory substation.

Safety warning for residents

City Power has reminded residents to treat all electrical outlets and supply points as live during the outage, as electricity may be restored at any time once maintenance work is completed.

In other words, don’t assume the power is off just because the lights are out.

Utility also warns about scammers

Alongside the outage notice, City Power has issued a warning about a rise in scams targeting customers.

According to the utility, criminals have been impersonating City Power officials and sending fake disconnection notices to residents.

These scams typically involve fraudulent banking details or fake identification cards.

City Power says customers should only make payments through official municipal banking accounts or trusted payment platforms.

Frustration, but also understanding, from residents

Whenever power cuts are announced in Johannesburg, the reaction online is often a mix of frustration and reluctant acceptance.

Some residents joked on social media that they now maintain “backup plans for the backup plans” from battery lights to portable Wi-Fi routers.

Others say planned outages, while inconvenient, are preferable to unexpected breakdowns.

With the city’s electricity network under constant pressure, maintenance work has become a necessary part of keeping the lights on in South Africa’s economic hub.

For affected residents this Tuesday, though, it may simply mean one thing: charge everything the night before.

{Source: The South African}

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