Joburg energy crisis highlights a deepening electricity divide in SA

In Johannesburg, the power infrastructure crisis highlights a stark disparity. While poor communities like Yeoville and Bellevue face soaring electricity costs and limited access, affluent institutions like St. John's College invest in solar energy to reduce expenses. Residents like Tsepo Matubatuba advocate for fairer energy policies as City Power introduces high costs for prepaid meters, exacerbating the financial strain. As electricity prices triple over 14 years, many in Johannesburg struggle with the choice between basic needs and power.

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By Antony Sguazzin

Late last year, residents of Yeoville and Bellevue — crumbling inner city areas of Johannesburg — went without power for four weeks after a 63-year-old cable broke. For several months after, power to the electricity supply was rotated between the two areas in four-hour blocks. Then the cuts were reduced to two hours a day as the city's aging infrastructure grappled with overloading. 

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