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Johannesburg on Edge as City Power Urges Urgent Cuts to Electricity Use

Published

4 months ago

May 5, 2025

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Johannesburg’s power supply system is under serious pressure, and City Power is calling on residents and businesses to immediately cut down on electricity usage to avoid widespread outages.

With the return to full working weeks in May and winter on the horizon, energy consumption is set to rise sharply. City Power has described this as a “critical” period for the city’s infrastructure, which remains vulnerable due to increased demand and frequent acts of vandalism.

“The network remains under severe pressure. Any increase in consumption could lead to overloading and, subsequently, further outages,” warned City Power in a statement released on Sunday.

Post-Holiday Spike in Usage

Following the reduced power demand during April’s multiple public holidays, Johannesburg is now entering a peak usage season. Residents are firing up heaters and geysers as temperatures drop, especially during the high-demand hours of 6 am to 9 am and 5 pm to 9 pm.

To protect the power grid, City Power is urging residents to:

Switch off non-essential appliances
Unplug devices when not in use
Avoid using power-hungry appliances like geysers, pool pumps, and heaters during peak hours

“Your cooperation is vital to sustaining the power supply and preventing further disruptions,” said City Power.

The utility acknowledged that customer restraint earlier this year helped stabilize the system through backup feeds and interconnectors, but warned that demand will surge again this week — and restraint remains essential.

Braamfontein Restoration in Progress

Meanwhile, City Power crews are racing to fully restore electricity in Braamfontein after a major outage caused by a fire damaged key power cables. The fire, reportedly sparked by cable theft along the 88kV circuit on the Double Decker route, cut power to parts of Braamfontein, Parktown West, Newtown Junction, and De Korte Street.

Wits University, one of the affected institutions, is operating at just 50% capacity.

Technicians have been working to install new 11kV cables between Bree and Braamfontein Substations to strengthen backfeeding. Full restoration was expected by Sunday evening.

Cable Theft and Vandalism Continue to Threaten Stability

City Power blamed the fire and recent outages on ongoing cable theft and underground vandalism, often linked to illegal miners known as zama-zamas. These groups operate in Johannesburg’s underground tunnels and pose serious safety and security threats.

“Criminal activity in the underground tunnels continues to damage critical power infrastructure,” the utility said. “We’re working closely with law enforcement to prevent further incidents.”

City Power is currently clearing debris in preparation to lay 200-metre-long 88kV cables — work that depends on clearance from the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA).

Working Together to Keep the Lights On

While City Power ramps up infrastructure investment and deploys new technologies to manage demand, the utility stressed that success depends on public participation.

“These small changes — unplugging devices, delaying use of heavy appliances during peak hours — can significantly ease the burden on our grid,” a spokesperson said.

Residents are also being urged to report illegal connections and suspicious activity near power infrastructure, as vandalism continues to undermine recovery efforts.

As Johannesburg braces for colder weather, the pressure on the power grid will only increase. City Power’s message is clear: without urgent cooperation from citizens, the city could face more blackouts, aging system failures, and economic setbacks.