City Power Warns of Weeklong Planned Outages as Joburg Grid Gets a Critical Tune-Up

Electricity is something Joburgers have learned not to take for granted, but next week, even the usual load shedding schedule will take a backseat to City Power’s maintenance blitz. The utility has announced a string of planned outages affecting suburbs from the northern lanes of Bryanston to the far southern pockets of Ennerdale.

And while Johannesburg residents are no strangers to flickering lights and unexpected blackouts, these interruptions come with one silver lining: they’re intentional, scheduled, and aimed at strengthening a grid that has taken a beating over the years.

Why the Outages Are Happening

City Power says the work is part of its ongoing programme to refurbish ageing infrastructure, replace components on the brink of failure, and bring some stability back to the city’s overworked electrical network.

In recent months, residents across the city have been complaining of sudden trips, repeated faults, and transformers giving up after decades of service. So while maintenance is never convenient, it’s increasingly necessary.

Still, the announcement has stirred mixed emotions on social media.

“At least it’s planned, better than waking up to another four-day outage because a substation caught fire,” one Randburg resident posted on X.

“But Yoh! Monday without power in Bryanston? No work is going to get done,” another joked.

Who’s Affected and When

Monday, 24 November: Bryanston and Surrounding Areas

Maintenance at Bryanston Substation will cut power from 8am to 4pm in:

• Gleniffer

• Solridge

• Bryanston

• Mill Hill Ext. 2

• New Brighton

• Glenadrienne

• Country Life Park

• Sandhurst Ext. 4

• Bryanston East Ext. 3

• River Club Ext. 3 & 10

• Bryanston West Ext. 1 & 2

• Parkmore & Parkmore Ext. 1

• Bryanston Ext. 1, 7, 12, 13, 31, 42, 44, 71

• Lym Park & Lym Park Ext. 2 and 4

For many in these areas, this is prime business territory, meaning Monday morning will start with generators grumbling and coffee shops filling with laptop-toting refugees.

Tuesday, 25 November: Roodepoort (Helderkruin)

Helderkruin Switching Station will undergo maintenance from 8am to 4pm.
Only Helderkruin is affected, but residents already dealing with regular faults are bracing themselves.

Wednesday, 26 November: Randburg (Ferndale)

A full-day outage from 9am to 5pm due to work at Randburg Substation.

Ferndale residents say they’re glad for the warning especially after repeated unplanned failures hit the area earlier this year.

Thursday, 27 November: Roodepoort Again

Two switching stations will undergo maintenance simultaneously from 8am to 4pm:

Timber Street Switching Station

• Manufacta

• Roodepoort West

Paul Kruger Avenue Switching Station

• Roodepoort North

• Horizon

This is expected to cause heavy traffic around the affected zones, especially as businesses scramble to adjust operations.

Saturday, 29 November: Region F (Reuven & Surrounds)

Work at Market Boundary Substation will affect:

• City Deep

• City Deep Hostel

• Prolecon

• Heidelberg Road

Many logistics companies in City Deep, one of Joburg’s busiest freight hubs, have already begun adjusting delivery schedules.

Also on 29 November: Lenasia Region G

At Carina Switching Station, power will go off from 8am to 4pm for:

• Ennerdale Ext. 1

• Ennerdale Ext. 2

For families preparing weekend gatherings or church activities, this means planning ahead.

City Power’s Message to Residents

The utility insists that the maintenance cannot be delayed. In its statement, City Power cautioned households:

“The supply may be restored at any time. Please treat all points as live.”

It also apologised for the inconvenience, though for many residents, the apology is received with a sigh. Joburgers have long demanded more proactive maintenance to prevent the kind of prolonged outages that leave neighbourhoods without power for days.

A Bigger Picture: Maintenance Is Painful, But Necessary

While frustrations are understandable, there’s a broader truth: Johannesburg’s grid is old, stressed, and vulnerable. Planned downtime now prevents catastrophic failures later.

These scheduled outages, inconvenient as they are, may be the difference between a single-day interruption and a neighbourhood plunged into darkness for a week because a transformer exploded.

As one Joburg resident posted online:

“We complain, but we also complain when things break. Maintenance is the only way forward.”

At least this time, residents have the one thing they rarely get: advance warning.